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Spring 2002

ume 51 Number 1

<KMa g a z i n e for

^Br Faculty and
i .... m of the MCV
m p u s of V C U

fiLim

Biomedical sciences celebrate
important milestones

It's been 50 years since VCU awarded its first Ph.D. in biomedical
sciences (through the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology).
Advanced degree education in the biomedical sciences at VCU dates
back to the 1930s with the first master's level degree awarded by
MCV in 1936. At the end of this academic year, VCU anticipates
awarding its 2,000th advanced biomedical sciences degree, including
doctorates, master's degrees and certificates. By 2003, Dr. Jan F.
Chlebowski, associate dean for graduate education in the VCU
School of Medicine, projects 1,000 Ph.Ds will have been awarded
in the biomedical sciences, with master's degrees reaching the same
level by 2004.

"The intimate relationship of advanced degree training and the
mission of research and scholarship are something we all recognize,"
explains Chlebowski. "Approaching and surpassing these milestones
can provide a focal point for the enhancement of the infrastructure
that will sustain these missions in the future."

Gifted teachers

Two alumni of Virginia Commonwealth University's MCV Campus
were recognized for excellence in teaching by the VCU School of
Medicine in October 2001.

Cesar I. Kanamori '94MD received the Irby-
James Award in Clinical Teaching which recog-
nizes superior teaching in clinical medicine taught
in the last two years of medical school and residency
training. Kanamori is an assistant professor in the
VCU Department of Internal Medicine. He estab-
lished a VCU resident rotation in the Dominican
Republic that serves the island's indigent citizens.
He also precepts regularly at the Fan Free Clinic and
is faculty advisor for the internal medicine student
interest group, Club Med. "Less obvious from this
list of accomplishments is the genuine devotion Dr. Kanamori
inspires in his students and the residents," wrote Dr. Steven D. Freer,
director of the VCU Internal Medicine Residency Program. "He is
consistently cited for the time and effort he puts into making the
experience of inpatient medicine exciting and intellectually stimulating
for students and residents alike."

The School of Medicine presented Caroline G. Jackson

'73PhD/M with an Outstanding Departmental
Teacher Award in Health Sciences Education
for her work in the Department of Anatomy.
Dr. Jackson began her career on VCU's MCV
Campus in 1946 as a biology assistant, and has
taught in the Department of Anatomy since
1972. She retired in 1996, but continues to teach
part-time as emeritus associate professor. Over
the years, she has received numerous awards for
her excellent teaching abilities, including the
School of Dentistry's award for Outstanding
Professor of Basic Sciences in 1992.

"She is a remarkable woman who has provided continuous service
to the institution and the department with a sense of grace and dedi-
cation," says Dr. John T. Povlishock, chair and professor of the
Department of Anatomy. "All of her efforts have been focused on
delivering outstanding lectures to her students and providing them
with excellent supporting materials."

Alumni Recognized at
2001 Founders Day Dinner

mt ilHi f Ti ml

Alumni Stars at the Founders Day dinner and awards ceremony held
in November 200 1 at the Country Club of Virginia. Back row: James
Lester '62BS/B, Rex Ellis '74BFA, Daniel Jarboe '88Ph.D./M-BH,
Rodney Klima '74DDS, Preston Hale '72BS/P, Norman Ende
'47MD, Milton Ende '43MD. Front row: Cynthia Garris
'71BS(OT)/AH, Jo Lynne DeMary '72MEd, Janice Meek
'83MS/H&S, Katharine Webb '73MSW.

FFFDRHCH

Dear Joan [Tupponce]:

I absolutely loved the way the article turned out! You did a terrific

job. It couldn't have been better. Thank you so much for the

wonderful work.

With warm regards,
Bob Quarles '79BS/P

Ms. Tupponce was the author of a profile on Dr. Quarles in our Fall
2001 issue.

Know an alumnus with an inspiring story or have an idea for an article
that would be interesting to MCV Campus alumni? Share it with us!
We're always looking for great story ideas. Call the MCV Alumni
Association at (804) 828-3900, fax us at (804) 828-4594 or e-mail us
at migreene@hsc.vcu.edu.

Do you have feedback for us? Write to Scarab Editor, P.O. Box
843044, Richmond, VA 23284-3044; fax (804) 828-0884;
email: memercer@vcu.edu

DEPARTMENTS

Grand Rounds

Vital Signs

SCARAB
Spring 2002

Volume 51
Number 1

Executive Editor

Lou Brooks '77BFA/A
'82BS(PT)/AH

Editor

Kathv Davi

Art Director

McGinnis '

Grand Rounds

In Memory
Sally lone

Michaelann Gr

Vital Signs

M C V A 1 u m n

s s o c i a t i o n

VCD Staff

Keith Braxton

Lynn Dowdy

Michaelann G reene- Russell '91BS/B

Ann N e 1 m s

Barbara Pay ton '83/ MC

N a n n e 1 1 e Wall

© 2002 Medical College of Virginia Alumni
Association of Virginia Commonwealth
University, P.O. Box 980156, Richmond,
VA 23298-0156 (804) 828-3900;
e-mail: migreene@hsc.vcu.edu
Web site: www.vcu-mcvalumni.org

Scarab is the official magazine of the Medical
College of Virginia Alumni Association of
Virginia Commonwealth University.
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University

Officers of the

MCV Alumni

Association of VCU

VCU Pride

Shines Through

Rebecca P. Snead '85BS/P

Alumni Stars

Rebecca T. Perdue '62BS(CLS)/AH

President-Ekct

Ruth Clemo '81PhD/M-BH

Secretary

What's in a Name?

Patricia B. Bernal '80BS'91MS/N
Treasurer

Plenty, according to Medical College

of Virginia Campus alumni and

Bruce R. DeGinder '88DDS

Assistant Treasurer

President Irani

Vice-Presidents

Hugh E. Aaron '88MHA

Allied Health

[COVER STORY]

Becky Snead

Mary Snyder Shall '91PhD/M-BH

Basic Health Sciences

Takes Charge

Richard D. Barnes 77DDS

MCV Alumni Association's

Dentistry

newly elected president

Mariann H. Johnson 78MD

Medicine

Corinne F. Dorsey '54C65BS/N

Nursing

Marianne R. Rollings '63BS/P

To Hell and Back

Pharmacy

A nurse shares her struggle with

addiction and how she reached the

road to recovery

Board of Trustees

Term Expiring 2004

Russell Bogacki* '97DDS

George W. Burke 70MD

■ u

Bronwyn McDaniels Burnham '89BS/P

Finding the Gift

Jane K. Garber '52BS/N

Barry V. Kirkpatrick '66MD

that Fits

Tim McGranahan '00BS/N

Sandra P. Welch '87PhD/M-BH

Term Expiring 2003

Frank D. Bruni 77MS/M-BH'82DDS

Edward A. Cary '88BS/P

The Doctor is

Ruth Clemo '81 PhD/M-BH
Paul D. Harvey '80DDS

Always In

VCU Hospitalists Focus

Caroll R. Throckmorton '91BS/P

June H. Turnage '59BS71MS/N
Jane Pendleton Wootton '65MD

on Inpatient Medicine

Term Expiring 2002

Lou Oliver Brooks 77BFAM'82BS(PT)/AH

Rosemary C. Check '81MHA

Shirley S. Craig 72MS79PhD/M-BH

Ann S. Hardy '99BS/N

September 1 1

Mariann H. Johnson 78MD

VCU's MCV Campus Moves into
Action in the Midst of Mourning

John Scott Kittrell '82DDS

James T. May III 73MD
Elizabeth C. Reynolds '91DDS

Joyce Sheridan '98BS(CLS)/AH

Monica M. Walton '93BS'98MS(RC)/AH

Cover Photography by Allen Jones

Amy L. Whitaker '98DPHA

VCU Media Production Services

VCU Pride Shines Through Alumni Stars

Janice Meck PhD '83MS
College of Humanities
and Sciences

Head of NASA's cardiovascular research lab.
More than fifty publications and presentations,
from MIT to the German Space Agency.
2001 Rotary National Award for Space
Achievement, "the Academy Awards of the
space industry." In 2000, Presidential Early
Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
with $200,000 grant.

Colonel Daniel Jarboe '88PhD
School of Medicine
(Basic Health Sciences)

Commander of Walter Reed Army Institute
of Research, the largest medical research
facility in the Department of Defense. Over-
sees research in infectious diseases, combat
casualty medicine, operational medicine,
and medical, chemical and biological
defense. Has served in posts from Brazil to
Bangkok. Diplomate of American College
of Veterinary Microbiology and American
College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Rex Marshall Ellis Ed.D. '74BFA
School of the Arts

Vice President for the Historic Area at
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Chair and curator of the Division of
Cultural History at the Smithsonian
Museum of American History, 1998-2001.
He has written two books and lectured
on African-American history and story-
telling in the U.S., South Africa, France
and New Zealand.

Jo Lynne S. DeMary Ed.D '72MEd
School of Education

First woman superintendent of instruction
for the Virginia Department of Education
2000. Henrico County Schools' director of
special education 1981, assistant superinten-
dent of instruction 1988. Past member
of VCU Alumni Association Board, member
of VCU School of Education Dean's Council.
Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award
1998, National Network Leadership Award
1 999 from Jobs for America's Graduates,
Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award 2000
from Virginia Women Educators.

Milton Ende '43MD
Norman Ende '47MD
School of Medicine

In 2001, Scientific American acknowledged
brothers Milton and Norman Ende as
the first researchers to prove that umbilical
cord blood could be clinically useful — 30
years ago. Milton brought one of the
first dialysis machines in the country to
Petersburg, Virginia.

Norman is professor of pathology, past
chief of clinical pathology and past
director of Tissue Typing Laboratory of
the University of Medicine and Dentistry
of New Jersey. Authored and co-authored
nearly 100 articles and 36 abstracts.
(seepage 31, The Ende Brothers: Original
Pioneers in Cord Blood Research)

A record-breaking 410 fellow alumni, family and friends celebrated some of VCU's brightest alumni
at the Alumni Stars awards dinner on November 16 at the Country Club of Virginia.

Rodney Klima, '74DDS
School of Dentistry

Boards of the American Dental Association
Political Action Committee and the Virginia
Dental Association. Member of International
College of Dentists and American College of
Dentists, fellow of the Virginia Dental Associ-
ation. Walter Reed Army Medical Center cleft
palate team for 14 years. Active fundraiser for
School of Dentistry's Philips Institute of Oral
and Craniofacial Molecular Biology.

James C. Lester '62BS
School of Business

Certified Chartered Life Underwriter.
Designated a Chartered Financial Consultant
by American College. Member of Million
Dollar Roundtable and Foundation. Founding
member of the Five Million-Dollar Forum.
Active in the National Association of Life
Underwriters.Civic leader and past president
of the Richmond Estate Planning Council and
VCU Alumni Association.

Cynthia Grudger G arris OTR '7 IBS
School of Allied Health

Founder of the Occupational Therapy
Department at University of Virginia
Hospital. Her business, Silver Ring Splint
Company, manufactures custom designed
finger splints of sterling silver and gold for
customers like Michael Jordan, Julius Irving
and a foreign prince. An international consul-
tant on splint issues with three patents, has
revolutionized splint therapy.

Katherine M. Webb '73MSW
School of Social Work

President of the Virginia Hospital and
Healthcare Association, executive vice
president of the Virginia Hospital Research
and Education Foundation, and executive
secretary of HOSPAC. Helped develop
Virginia's state health facilities plan, worked
with legislature developing hospice programs
and revising health planning law. Advocated
and implemented children's health insurance
program in Virginia, helped organize Virginia
Coalition on Children's Health.

L. Preston Hale, R.Ph. '72BS
School of Pharmacy

Created Compute-Rx Pharmacy System,
one of the first computer programs for phar-
macists. Later developed a full service long-
term care pharmacy management system.
As senior vice president of Institutional
Systems for Compute-Rx (later CRX Pharmacy
Systems), led development, marketing and
support of its Long-Term Care and Inpatient
Pharmacy Systems. Led sales as senior vice
president of Marketing and Customer Rela-
tions. Now Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager
of all QS/1 applications.

Susan Morales RN, MSN, HNC,
CHTP/1 '71BS
School of Nursing

Nurse and Therapeutic Touch practitioner in
the Oncology Medical Unit of Mount Sinai
Hospital, Toronto (1980). An international
consultant and educator in Therapeutic Touch
and complementary therapies, taught in Eng-
land, the Netherlands and the U.S. Past inter-
national director for the American Holistic
Nurse's Association, editorial board for Holistic
Nursing Practice. Founding board member of
Healing Touch International, founder and
head of Healing Touch Canada, Inc. and the
Canadian Healing Touch Foundation.

What's in a Name?

Plenty, according to Medical College of Virginia
Campus alumni and President Trani

By Dr. Hermes K o ntos

VCU Campus Banners

•

MCV Campus j

Academic Campus

ince the establishment of Virginia Com-
monwealth University in 1968, the name of the
University's health sciences' programs has been
an unsettled matter for alumni, students and the
University. The question turns on recognizing
the traditions and pride of the MCV Campus
while building VCU's name and reputation.
Both contribute to attracting the dollars and
faculty essential to building a top-level research
and teaching institution. In my 42 years on the
Medical College of Virginia Campus, I have had
the opportunity to consider this issue from a
variety of perspectives: first, as a resident and
alumnus before the creation of VCU, and later
as a member of the faculty, a department chair,
and dean of the School of Medicine. For me, it
comes down to what is in the long-term best
interest of alumni and students.

It's a question that President Trani has resolved not to pass along
to his successor. His solution addresses both sides of a dilemma that
has persisted for more than three decades, and a solution is essential if
President Trani's vision for moving Virginia Commonwealth Univer-
sity into the country's top echelon of public teaching and research
universities is to be realized. Achieving that vision will benefit every
sector of the University, especially alumni who possess the greatest
stake in the institution's future.

Today's hyper-competitive environment in the recruitment of
students and faculty, application for government-supported research
grants, and requests for gifts from private foundations and corporations
demands that a university be recognized for all of its achievements.
Institutional capability to provide the infrastructure and resources to
support today's increasingly complex and expensive research is a key
factor in securing major grants and gifts.

Yet, examples abound of confusion or lack of recognition arising
from a profusion of names being associated with the schools and
departments on the MCV Campus. For example, it has often been
the case that in professional journals, the affiliations of MCV Campus
faculty authors have been stated differently such that it is virtually
impossible to realize that their research originates from the same
institution. Or, consider the example of the University's six primary
care residencies located across Virginia. Until early 2001, when "VCU"
was included in the names of these residencies, the contributions of
these sites' 108 residents to Virginia communities and citizens went
mostly unrecognized. Such confusion shortchanges the achievements
of our outstanding faculty and students.

The process of increasing public identity is called "branding." In
VCU's case, it means building name recognition so there's an imme-
diate association of all health care and science-related achievements
with a single institution. The potential this holds to strengthen work
being accomplished on the MCV Campus has increased several fold
with the addition of VCU's newly-accredited School of Engineering,
the University's new Life Sciences initiative, and the Rice Center's 350
acres on the James River for scientific and environmental research
and teaching. Collaborative efforts in biomedical engineering, biochip
development, bioinformatics, genetic and cancer research, and
numerous related areas have positioned the University to play a major
role in advances in health care for years to come. But the full potential
of these changes can only be realized if VCU researchers and students
are recognized as a whole for their efforts. Reputation and support
will grow based on the perception of University-wide excellence.

Branding also means differentiating VCU from other universities.
The Medical College of Virginia name continues to be confused by
many outside the state with the University of Virginia. A typical
example of such confusion is a clipping President Trani received that
appeared in a South Carolina newspaper. It noted that a prominent
Hilton Head resident had recently received a liver transplant at the
University of Virginia's hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

Placing all the MCV Campus schools and MCV Hospitals under

5 p

The Medical College of Virginia
Campus's heritage and alumni pride
is key to future growth.

one umbrella creates the unified identity so vital to progress. All Uni-
versity schools now bear the institution's name as part of their names.
Thus the School of Medicine is the VCU School of Medicine, the
School of Pharmacy is the VCU School of Pharmacy, and so on. MCV
Hospitals and MCV Physicians fall under the VCU Health System.

When used by researchers and authors in their publications and
grant applications, listed in resumes, and employed in press releases
and other media outlets, this branding builds a single, unambiguous
identity that benefits everyone.

To preserve the rich heritage of its contributions to health care,
the Medical College of Virginia name will live on in four prominent
and vital affiliates and components of the University:

• The Medical College of Virginia Campus

• The Medical College of Virginia Alumni Association of Virginia
Commonwealth University

• The Medical College of Virginia
Foundation

• Medical College of Virginia Hos-
pitals and Physicians of the VCU
Health System

These names will be used in signage,
letterhead, business cards, and publi-
cations. "Medical College of Virginia
Campus" will remain on the diplomas
earned by students graduating from
the campus's five schools.

Preservation of the Medical College
of Virginia name in these contexts
recognizes the achievements and
contributions of thirteen decades of
health care education and research,
patient care, alumni pride and support,
and outreach into Richmond and
Virginia. The Medical College of

Virginia Campus's heritage and alumni pride is key to future growth.
They will live on in the names of four prominent and vital components
of the University. It will be continuously honored on the diplomas of
new graduates. And, the MCV Alumni Association will be vigilant in
supporting alumni pride and University awareness of this most
important component of VCU's growth and strength.

Dr. Kontos '62HS'67PhD/M-BH is the vice president for Health
Sciences and chief executive officer of the VCU Health System.

Some alumni perspectives

As MCV Alumni Association president and working closely with state
legislators in her role as executive director of the Virginia Pharmacists
Association, Becky Snead '85BS/P is especially aware of the need to
communicate. Alumni need to know VCU's vision for the future and

I o preserve the rich heritage of its contributions to health
care, the Medical College of Virginia name will live on in
four prominent and vital affiliates and components of
the University:

■ The Medical College of Virginia Campus

■ The Medical College of Virginia Alumni Association
of Virginia Commonwealth University

■ The Medical College of Virginia Foundation

■ Medical College of Virginia Hospitals and Physicians
of the VCU Health System

These names will be used in signage, letterhead, business
cards, and publications. "Medical College of Virginia
Campus" will remain on the diplomas earned by students
graduating from the campus's five schools.

why the name is such a critical part of that vision. Their involvement
and support are critical.

"The University has positioned itself to continue its excellence.
It's building an extremely strong identity, to push harder and further
than we ever dreamed." MCV alumni, she believes, "are thirsty to
know VCU's vision and to buy into it. They just need to know why
changes are necessary to achieve it." She's pleased President Trani is
sharing his vision with MCV campus alumni. She sums it up "MCV
has a strong history, a rich heritage. VCU is the future. How we tran-
sition is the key."

Dr. Kathy Bobbin '56BS/N, the MCV Alumni Association's
immediate past president, was key in strengthening the communica-
tions link. After hearing Dr. Trani two years ago at reunion weekend
explain his philosophy and pledge to preserve the MCV name, she
saw how alumni who heard him rallied to the vision. Yet, as association
president, she also heard the fears and
frustrations of alumni who loved their
school and were devoted to preserving
its name and reputation. Subsequently,
she asked President Trani to meet with
alumni leaders to confirm his commit-
ment to preserving the MCV name.
Out of that meeting grew the idea for
the accompanying article on the
name question.

"That we're a University" Bobbitt
explains, "is one of the greatest things
that could've happened to us. That
change embraces the past and is a step
into the future. Of course the Associa-
tion is concerned with our institution's
name, but we recognize that where
President Trani's vision is leading
will benefit the whole." Anything, she
believes, "we can do to make the University better, we want to be a
part of that."

"Speaking as a former association president," said Dr. John Doswell
'79DDS, "we want to put to rest rumors that the MCV name will no
longer be associated with the University." Most of the concerns he's
heard from alumni stem from incomplete information. Especially proud
of his fellow School of Dentistry alumni, among whom at least eleven
have recently served as deans or school presidents, Doswell is confident
that "the University knows that doing away with the MCV name would
strip VCU of the opportunity to recognize 160+ years of rich tradition
and thousands of graduates who have contributed to health care and
research needs of the world." He knows Richmond alumni are aware of
VCU's recent accomplishments and it's time to end the confusion over
the name and "get the message out across the country."

Sally Jones contributed to this sidebar.

S p

Becky Snead takes charge

By Sally Jones

Snead even involves her four-year-old son, Robert, in as
many of her MCVAA activities as possible and encourages
other parents to do so as well. "I need him to understand
what I'm doing, and it's good for him to get involved." Plans
are underway for a new children's event at a reunion in the
future to encourage even greater alumni participation.

If there's one thing Rebecca "Becky"
Parker Snead '85BS/P has learned
during her 15-plus years in the health
care industry, it's that you have to
push the envelope to make great
strides. As the MCV Alumni Associa-
tion's newly elected president, she
plans to put her creed to the test,
challenging board members to look
at the organization's mission and
methods in a somewhat different light.

"That's my gamble," she grins confidently. But in all seriousness,
Snead says she is committed to preserving the association's history
and tradition, while reevaluating some age-old practices. "It's my
guess that some board members may not even know why it is we do
some of the things the way we do them — they've been done the same
way for so long without question. Don't get me wrong, though."
Snead is quick to point out. "The alumni association has done an
incredible job in the past, but every organization needs things stirred
up a little now and then to keep moving forward."

Snead's immediate goal is to take a fresh look at the association's
practices and goals to determine if they are the best way to meet the
organization's ultimate purpose. "By doing that, I think we will be
able to improve membership and our contributions to the University,"
she says. "And I think each board member will become more vested
in this organization and will in turn become leaders themselves.
Every board member has so much to offer this institution."

Pushing the envelope comes naturally to Snead, who for six
years now has done just that in the state's pharmacy profession as
the Virginia Pharmacists Association's executive director. She likens

S P

very prou

niversuy

was on the cutting edge and was a
true leader in health sciences."

her work to that of a cheerleader. "Today's pharmacists are working
under tremendous challenges, and my job is not only to make them
feel good about what they're doing but also to try to make other
people realize what opportunities they may have through partner-
ships with pharmacy."

As VPhA executive director, Snead also frequently wears the hat
of lobbyist at the Virginia General Assembly and has gained invalu-
able experience in fighting for health care and pharmacy legislation.
She believes her experiences with the VPhA allow her to better
understand the challenges and opportunities of a nonprofit organi-
zation, such as the MCVAA. "I work with University lobbyists on a
very close basis," says Snead, "so I feel I can relate to the University's
priorities and can help share these with the association's board."

A self-proclaimed small-town girl, Snead says when she first
started looking into pharmacy schools, she was less than thrilled
about coming to Richmond. After all, she had been raised on a 200-
acre farm in rural Waverly, Va., for most of her life and worked after
school in the independently owned community pharmacy for years.
"I thought that as soon as I was done with school, I'd go right back
home or somewhere else small." But since she graduated from the
VCU School of Pharmacy in 1985, she has spent the majority of her
time in and around Richmond.

"I found very quickly that a big city like Richmond has many
smaller communities, and you don't have to be in a small town to
have that sense of community. I was and still am amazed at the sense
of family that the pharmacy school and the other schools on MCV
Campus have."

Once at VCU, Snead says she realized the opportunity she had
been afforded. "I felt very proud that the University was on the cutting
edge and was a true leader in health sciences. VCU/MCV provided
me a wonderful foundation and tremendous opportunities."

Snead, however, calls herself a "fairly unremarkable" student
while at pharmacy school, especially compared with her level of
involvement today. "I never skipped classes, and I always studied
a lot, but I wasn't class president or student chapter president.
I worked 20 hours a week in a pharmacy while in school. Dean
White, who was the dean of students at the time, always says, 'she
was such a quiet girl, we never heard a peep out of her. I don't know
what happened!'"

Just after graduation, Snead did return home to Waverly for a
year to work at Waverly Drug Store, where she had grown up working
after school as a teenager and later during summers and breaks from
college and pharmacy school. "My two sisters and I worked there for

a long time," says Snead, "but I was the only one to go into pharmacy.
Originally, I thought I'd go into medicine, but the longer I worked in
the drugstore, the more appealing pharmacy became to me."

So, what was it about pharmacy and health care in general
that drew Snead into the profession? "The impact that we have on
people's lives is so striking," she says, "and the sense of community
in pharmacy. I love the people part of it, to be able to interact with
people and be on the front lines."

Snead left Waverly in 1986 to move back to the Richmond area,
where she worked in a number of retail pharmacies over the next
seven years. In early 1994, she decided to do something a little
different; she began serving as a marketing and training consultant
for numerous pharmacies and related companies. "The public didn't
really recognize that they needed anything other than bottles, pills
and a bag," says Snead, "and pharmacies didn't do a good job of
letting the public know what specialized services they offered."

Later in 1994, Snead found her way to the Virginia Pharmacists
Association as its first director of professional affairs. After a year,
she was serving as interim executive director and was appointed
executive director in early 1996.

Snead has been an MCVAA member since she graduated VCU,
and since 1995 she has served on the association's board as pharmacy
division board member, assistant treasurer and vice-president.
Among her many accomplishments, Snead in 1998 was named
one of the "50 Most Influential People in Pharmacy" by American
Druggist magazine. In 2000, the VCU School of Pharmacy awarded
her the Alumni Star. She also serves on the board of directors for
the Arthritis Foundation, an organization whose cause hits close to
home. Snead watched her father suffer from rheumatoid arthritis
most of her life.

As for her involvement with the MCVAA, Snead says she is
grateful to have been chosen president and wants to encourage all
alumni to get involved with the University. "In thinking about our
children and family members and where they may go in the future
and to have this connection with the University, where you can offer
your input and stay involved, it's really a great feeling to have an
impact on the future."

Sally Jones is a freelance writer in Richmond, who writes for VCU, the
MCV Foundation and local publications.

S p

To Hell and Back

A nurse shares her struggle with addiction
and how she reached the road to recovery

By Wendy Mathis Parker

s a child of an alcoholic
parent, Thayne Ford
knew all too well
the anguish and
heartache alcohol
addiction could
cause a family. It was quite simple for
Ford: at an early age, she vowed she
would never take a drink.

All the way through high school,
college, nursing school and a nursing
career spanning 25 years, Ford stuck to
her guns. She wanted to help people
and build a successful career. She
wanted to have a stable family life,
with a good husband and happy
children. She worked very hard to
achieve those goals, and she did. One
might say, Thayne Ford had it all.

How then could a woman of such
resolve end up nearly losing every-
thing? How did she find herself, as she
describes it "in the horrendous spiral"
of being fired from her well-paying job

as a nurse anesthetist, facing felony charges, compromising her
health, depleting her finances, devastating her family, and finally,
contemplating suicide? The answer is simple: Thayne Ford had
become a drug addict.

Ford's story is not unique.

In 1999, the National Institute of Drug Abuse released data that
3.5 million people were addicted to illicit drugs and 8.2 million people
were dependent on alcohol.

According to John Hasty '56BS/P, former director of the Com-
monwealth of Virginia Department of Health Professions, 10 to 12
percent of the general American population, at sometime during
their lives, will suffer from some type of impairment or dependency.
It stands to reason that the percentage of impaired health care practi-
tioners, with high-stress related jobs and easy access to pharmaceuti-
cals, could be even higher.

In Virginia alone, it is estimated
that as many as 25,000 people in the
health care industry may be impaired
by drugs or alcohol — a frightening
prospect for the unsuspecting patient
seeking responsible health care. A
scary prospect, too, for those health
care providers who are addicted to
controlled substances and are reluctant
to seek help, or worse, don't even
believe they have a problem.

"The denial is incredible," Thayne
Ford says of her addiction. She began
using Demerol to relieve headaches
she suffered at work. She remembers
distinctly the first time she abused.
"I had the worst migraine, the worst
headache ever in the world," she says,
"and I deserved relief." She had med-
ication at her disposal in the outpa-
tient clinic where she worked as a
nurse anesthetist. In the restroom,
she used a syringe to inject Demerol.
She quickly switched over to fentanyl,
an opiate 10 times more potent than morphine. "It went against all
my moral upbringing," she says, "but it was very simple." She would
steal the fentanyl, hide in the restroom and shoot up. Thus, began
Ford's addiction, and denial. "Every night you say you'll never do
it again but you wake up and you have to," she recalls. "You wear
long sleeves."

Ford abused off and on at work for about a year. It was her hus-
band, not coworkers, who discovered her addiction and intervened.
She was sent away for 28 days to a hospital in Fairfax, Va. where she
received treatment for substance abuse. "It didn't work," she says,
"because I didn't want it to. After all," she remembers thinking, "I
didn't have a problem."

Ford went back to work and immediately started using again.
Following a drug screening, she was fired from her job. "My thinking
was so distorted," she says, "I blamed it all on everyone else."

S p

In 1999, the National Institute of Drug Abuse

released data that 3.5 million people were

addicted to illicit drugs and 8.2 million people

were dependent on alcohol

Ford joined her husband overseas where she was "abstinent but
miserable." When she returned to the U.S., it had been four years
since she had practiced — and used — and she felt it was safe to go back
to work. She took a position at a Tidewater hospital and, after about
six months, she began using again. "It was inevitable," she says.
"When you take away someone's crutch you have to replace it with
something." Ford, on her own, had never discovered that something.

Ford resumed her daily use of fentanyl for a year and a half at the
new hospital. She says, "Amazingly, my addiction was never detected."
When her husband entered school in southwestern Virginia, Ford
moved with him across the state where she found employment in
another hospital.

Relatively early, within six weeks, Ford says, she was caught
diverting drugs and was immediately fired. This time, the State
Board of Nursing was called. Not only did she face felony charges
for obtaining drugs by fraud, she faced losing her license to practice.
In addition, she had lost a tremendous amount of weight. Ford says,
"I was on my way to dying."

It was at this low ebb, Ford began thinking of a way to hurry up
the process, a way to end her life. Yet as desperate as she was, she
remembers thinking, "There has got to be some help for me some-
where. I had a little glimmer of hope that there was somebody out
there who could help me."

Little did Ford know, there was a whole network of people who
could help her.

She called the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) referral
source and obtained a list of local people who were in recovery. The
source recommended Ford enter a treatment program called "Per-
spectives" for impaired health care practitioners. At the same time,
EAP staff suggested she attend a Caduceus meeting. This is a support
group of peers suffering from addiction, who meet regularly to talk
confidentially about recovery, work, legal and license issues. The
group gave her hope. "There were 30 other people in the room who
had been through what I was going through," Ford says, "and they
actually looked happy."

Ford entered the Perspectives program in Hampton, Va. for
treatment. (It is now the Farley Center located in Williamsburg, Va.)
This time she stayed for three months. Looking back, Ford realized
her first treatment of 28 days was not nearly long enough to deal
with all the issues of addiction. "We think we're intelligent enough,
we have all the education, and we know how to handle the drugs,"
she says, "but we can't."

During her stay among her peers at the treatment center, Ford
learned many things about addiction and recover)'. She summarizes:

■ We are powerless over drugs and alcohol.

■ Addiction is a disease. There is no cure, but it is treatable
and manageable.

■ It is vital to get involved in a 12-step program such as
Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous

■ Recovery is a lifelong process, taken one day at time. It is
impossible to do it on your own.

The three-month treatment at the center cost Ford $15,000, but
she believes it saved her life. Financially, she had lost everything and
she and her husband eventually divorced. She found work at a
gourmet store earning $7 an hour. "But it was a good thing," she
says, "It gave me time to get more
involved in the 12-step program."

When Ford went to court to face
the legal charges against her for
obtaining drugs by fraud, she was not
convicted. The judge prohibited her
from practicing for three years and
Ford says during that time, "I was
watched." She met regularly with her
probation officer, was screened ran-
domly for drugs, and stayed in the
12-step program. Eventually, the

felony charges were dismissed and Ford says, "I was blessed. I want
that judge to know she made a good decision."

When Ford was offered a job as a detox nurse at the very treatment
center where she began her recovery, she went before the State Board
of Nursing to ask for her license. She had been clean for three years
and had found that missing "something" — enormous support for
her difficult road to recovery. She was granted her license.

Ironically, addiction and recovery led Ford to a new career related
to the health care industry. Today she is vice president of operations
of Virginia Monitoring, Inc. where daily she interfaces with addicted
health care practitioners who are attempting to turn around their
lives. Ford continues to attend support meetings, lives a healthy
lifestyle and career-wise, is where she always wanted to be "helping
others." Thayne Ford, once so close to dying, is a living example for
the impaired practitioner that recovery can and does work.

Thayne Ford

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HPIP: How it works

The purpose of Virginia's Health Practitioners' Inter-
vention Program (HPIP) is two-fold: to ensure safety
for medical consumers in the Commonwealth and to
increase the number of impaired practitioners who
will seek assistance as an alternative to disciplinary action. In the
past, addicted providers avoided getting help due to the real fear
of losing their licenses. According to John Hasty '56BS/P, "The
last place a nurse would go for help is the board that holds her
license." Today, for those practitioners who are eligible, steps
maybe initiated through HPIP to obtain a stay of disciplinary
action to allow the practitioner to focus on recovery.

HPIP is open to any health care practitioner who is or was
licensed, certified or registered, or an applicant who is eligible for
licensure, certification or registration. It not only provides an
alternative for the practitioner, it enhances public protection by
strict monitoring of the practitioner. Services now available to
the impaired practitioner under HPIP include assessment, referral,
intervention coordination, monitoring and advocacy. A seven-
member committee of practitioners experienced in working with
impaired individuals oversees the program and makes decisions
on requests for stays of disciplinary action.

Johnny Moore '71BS/P, has served on the Intervention
Program Committee since its inception, including serving as
chairman in 2000. He also has been chairman of the Virginia
Pharmacists Aiding Pharmacists (VaPAPP) peer assistance group
for close to a decade. The committee's role is to review all cases
that come to Virginia Monitoring Inc., the private company
contracted to monitor health care workers and to help them
get well. Committee members are privy to only pertinent infor-
mation involving a case. Moore says, "We do not know the practi-
tioners by name, only number." They discuss each participant
being considered for a stay of disciplinary action, having a
previously granted stay vacated, resigning or being dropped
from the program.

Virginia Monitoring, Inc. and the Intervention Committee
maintain rigorous surveillance of the participants and require
cooperation to remain in the program. Each year, approximately
30 percent of the total caseload is dismissed from the program
because of non-compliance.

Want more information? Here are some important numbers:

Health Practitioners' Intervention Program

804-662-9424
1-800-533-1560 toll free

Virginia Monitoring

757-827-6600
1-888-827-7559 toll free

An Addict's Lifeline

HPIP offers help and hope to
impaired health care providers

Only a few years ago, health care practitioners
who found themselves succumbing to addic-
tion and caught in the inevitable downward
spiral of losing their jobs and licenses to
practice, and possibly even going to jail,
often had little hope for recovery. Today,
there's much more than a glimmer of hope for the impaired
provider. In about 40 states across the union, programs are in
place similar to Virginia's Health Practitioners' Intervention
Program (HPIP) which was established in 1998 (see sidebar HPIP:
How it works).

The numbers show the need. In 2001 there were 720 practitioners
enrolled in the Virginia Health Practitioners' Intervention Program.
The 2000 Virginia Monitoring Inc. program performance report
indicates there were 896 participants in the Virginia HPIP, an increase
from 638 the previous year. Members from the board of nursing
increased from 304 to 391, the board of medicine from 121 to 137,
the board of pharmacy from 34 to 47, and the board of dentistry from
12 to 18. What are the drugs of choice? For 45 percent of the partici-
pants it's opiates and for 30 percent, alcohol. A total of 37 percent of
the participants were male and 63 percent female.

According to Thayne Ford of Virginia Monitoring Inc., the private
company HPIP contracts to monitor health care workers and help
them get well, nurses always make up 60 to 70 percent of participants
and the reason is simple. "Nurses don't take care of themselves," she
says. "They take care of everyone else, work I2-hours shifts, go
home, then take care of their children
and spouses. Many develop chronic
pain, backaches and migraine
headaches, and they don't take
the time to get enough stress relief.
It's much easier to get a script from
the doctor."

Ford says if a nurse has been
caught diverting morphine from
the hospital and she undergoes treat-
ment, Virginia Monitoring Inc. can Johnny Moore '71BS/P

S p

1 0 to 12 percent of the general American population,

at sometime during their lives, will suffer

from some type of impairment or dependency.

Sam Stanford '74MD

apply for a stay of disciplinary action. In the past, if she were being
investigated by the State Board of Nursing, once that investigation was
complete, she would be turned over to the board. Now if she is fol-
lowing all the conditions of her contract, Virginia Monitoring Inc. can
ask for a stay of disciplinary action from the oversight committee and
that action is held in abeyance and never becomes public knowledge.

"We can help them protect their license," Ford says. "They'll hear
that. It's the best motivation for them to get help."

Johnny Moore '71BS/P agrees. A former
amphetamine user whose addiction began in phar-
macy school and lasted 14 years, Moore has been
in recovery since 1985. In the past 17 years, he has
suffered no more relapses and credits regular moni-
toring for staying clean. According to Moore, one
may never really lose the desire to use. Returning to
work after treatment for substance abuse, Moore
recalls, "The first time I dispensed Fastin, the fact
that I might die didn't stop me [from abusing it);
the fact that I might get caught tomorrow in a drug
screening and lose my license, did." But the beauty of HPIP, says
Moore is that it gave him the opportunity to progress in his recovery
to the point that he resisted abusing drugs because he liked his life
and didn't want to die, rather than just out of fear of losing his
license. That's how it really saves lives, he says.

Sam Stanford Jr. '74MD has a 15-year history of being in recovery
for alcoholism which includes, as he says, "multiple bumps in the
road." Under the watch of Virginia Monitoring Inc. for a total of six
months, Stanford believes that monitoring has been good for him.
"It fosters my recovery," he says. He must submit to a urine test once
a week. "But it's a random test," he says. "I call an 800 number every
morning and I am told whether or not I must report in for a test."

Having surrendered his license to practice, Stanford works as a
personal trainer in a fitness center. He attends four support meetings
a week and is under psychotherapy for depression. "In my case and
most cases, you have to treat the addiction diagnosis and psychiatric
diagnosis concomitantly," he says, "If all goes well, I'm eligible to
apply to get my license back in July 2002." It has been over two years

since Stanford last practiced and he knows when he returns to work,
it will be "under a whole lot of restrictions. There are certain practices
I will not be allowed to go into. It will be up to Virginia Monitoring
whether I apply for that license or not." Stanford adds, "With their
advocacy, anything is possible. Without their advocacy, nothing
is possible."

The name John Hasty '56BS/P, is synonymous with recovery in
Virginia. Due to the tireless work of Hasty and Senator
John Edwards of Roanoke, the bill to establish the
intervention program for impaired health care prac-
titioners passed unanimously in the General Assem-
bly in 1997. Governor Allen first appointed Hasty the
director of the Department of Health Professions in
1994. Governor Gilmore reappointed him in 1998.
Hasty's successful track record in educating the public
and practitioners about drug abuse gave him the
impetus in 1982 to start Virginia Pharmacists Aiding
Pharmacists (VaPAPP), a peer assistance group for
impaired pharmacists. Hasty has personally partici-
pated in interventions for over 75 colleagues.

At the Department of Health Professions, Hasty was charged
with the task of organizing an intervention program to cover all
health practitioners. There are 13 regulatory boards overseeing
approximately 70 specialties in Virginia. According to Hasty, out of
those 70 specialties, only eight or nine peer assistance organizations were
in effect. With the institution of the Health Practitioners' Intervention
Program, all 13 boards, ranging from
dentistry, optometry to veterinary
medicine, now have uniform regula-
tions and assistance for impaired
practitioners. Hasty says, "When we
wrote the legislation, we did every-
thing in our power to make sure
the existing peer assistance groups,
such as the Virginia Caring Dentists
Committee and VaPAPP, were
not destroyed. Their focus is

5 P

SCARAB

The good news is: For those in the
business of helping others, there is help

different; it is to help do interven-
tions and to get people into
this program."

In addition to interventions,
VaPAPP provides articles for phar-
macy journals and continuing edu-
cation at annual meetings. The
effort not only reaches impaired
practitioners, it goes beyond to
educate students before they enter
the health care industry.

Stephen Rudder, a second-year
pharmacy student at VCU, recalls
the impact Johnny Moore made,
when as chairman of VaPAPP, he
spoke to Rudder's class. "He was a
very dynamic speaker," says Rudder.
As a former addict, Moore has a
special insight into addiction and
recovery that he openly shares with

the students. Because of Moore's visit, Rudder volunteered to attend
a six-day seminar at the University of Utah School on Alcohol and
Substance Abuse.

Attending the pharmacy section, Rudder heard many pharma-
cists relate their tales of addiction. "The most touching part of the
seminar, and the scariest," Rudder says, "was sitting in a live therapy
session of 10 young people who were addicted to meth, coke, crack,
alcohol or prescription drugs. Seeing a 19-year-old kid, a tough guy
with tattoos, break down and cry, was one of the most powerful
hours of my life."

While Rudder is certain he will never abuse drugs, he under-
stands many pharmacists began their careers with the same confi-
dence. He worries about the pattern he sees his young colleagues
falling into: beginning the "weekend" on Thursday night, going
out for drinks to relieve the stress. The rest of the weekend is an
extension of the Thursday night ritual: drinking to get drunk. Rudder

doesn't sport a holier-than-thou
attitude; he personally has nothing
against a few drinks. After attending
the seminar, however, he knows,
"If they use alcohol to relieve stress
once a week, it can turn into an
alcohol-to-relieve-stress pattern.
I know students who drink every
night of the week and still make
good grades, but I believe they're
going to get some form of
addiction, physically, mentally
or physiologically."

Rudder is grateful for the
opportunity to learn about drug
abuse, something that most
impaired providers didn't learn
until too late. Under the umbrella
of the Department of Health
Professions, programs like HPIP
in conjunction with Virginia Monitoring, Inc., continue work in reaching
and helping impaired providers. Thayne Ford summarizes, "The
punitive attitude toward impaired providers is fast disappearing.
The former mind set was 'let's get this guy,' now it is 'let's help this
guy.'" It's a dramatic change, Ford believes. "But," she says, "we still
have a long way to go."

The good news is: For those in the business of helping others,
there is help.

Wendy Mathis Parker '01MFA is a newspaper editor, author, theater
critic and playwright.

S p

By Sally Jones

Just a decade ago, most people considered cash or check
payments the sole form of charitable giving. But times
have changed. Today, more and more people are rec-
ognizing that making a gift to a charitable organization
can take many forms, and sometimes be as complex as
setting up a stock portfolio or planning for retirement.
The variety of charitable giving options include charitable remainder
trusts, appreciated securities, wills, real estate, insurance policies, chari-
table gift annuities or lead trusts. Some of these options have lucrative
tax benefits as well as the potential for
steady and long-term income.

Michael Dowdy, executive vice
president of the MCV Foundation, says
that in the last six months alone, the
Foundation has seen gifts in the form
of stock, a charitable remainder trust,
several bequests, a charitable gift annuity
and an insurance policy. "Charitable
giving methods are far more varied
than they used to be," he says. "This
variety gives donors more options in
choosing how they support us and how
their philanthropic planning can com-
plement their estate planning."

So, with all the variety of gift
options, where does a potential donor
start? With such an enormous playing
field comes a complex set of rules gov-
erning charitable gifts. Bill Gray, partner

with the Richmond office of Hunton & Williams and the Foundation's
legal advisor, cautions anyone considering a charitable gift to do his
or her homework before deciding what type ot gift to make.

"Tax laws provide a number of ways to make charitable gifts with
great benefits," says Gray, "but the rules can be restrictive, and the
benefits can vary widely depending on the type and amount ot the
gift. Slight variations in your gift form may mean the difference
between a tax deduction for the full value of the donation, a deduction
for only your cost basis, and no deduction at all."

But Gray says that behind what he calls the "convoluted" tax laws
stands a wealth of opportunity for charitable givers. "The American
legal system encourages us to give; the benefits are out there." Such
benefits include but are not limited to: substantial tax deductions,
increased income yield without immediate capital gains tax, continued
income from the gift, access to built-up equity, augmented retire-
ment income, and the ability to make a larger charitable gift through
deferred giving than is possible through an outright gift.

Dr. Hilda Meth, senior financial advisor for American Express,
believes that when people don't give to charity, it's not because they
don't want to give, it's simply because "people just don't understand
the system."

"Every person wants to make the world a better place in some
small corner," Meth believes, "and everyone is capable of making a

gift in some way. Many people just don't realize this until they're
shown how to do it through careful financial and gift planning."

Meth says that once her clients understand that they can provide
for all the basics, such as paying off debt, providing for retirement,
and funding their children's education and inheritance, and still give
to their community, then it's just a matter of finding the gift that fits.

"People can provide their children a sound inheritance and still
give to their community," says Meth. "I always pose the questions to
my clients, 'Do you want to leave your children and grandchildren a
living or a heritage? Do you want to
make them better, hardworking people
who learn to give back to the community
by your example?' Most clients get very
excited by these ideas."

Last year, Meth followed her own
advice when she wanted to honor her
late husband, a 31 -year faculty member
in the VCU School of Pharmacy who
died suddenly in September 1994 of
Creuztfeldt-Jakob Disease, a genetically
transmitted neurological disorder that
had gone undetected. Meth decided to
create the Werner Lowenthal Endow-
ment Fund in the school to support
Ph.D. students specializing in the
pharmacology of genetically-based
neurological disorders. She directed
her gift to an area that meant a great
deal to her husband.
"Teaching was his primary focus; he just loved his students,"
Meth says. "And by making this fund a scholarship with a narrow
research interest, I wanted to help attract top talent to MCV and help
further research into an area that was fitting under the circumstances of
my husband's death." Dr. Meth has used gifts of cash and appreciated
securities to establish the Lowenthal Endowment Fund.

To help potential donors make sense out of charitable giving,
the MCV Foundation has added an important component to its
Web site. A simple click away from the Foundation's main Web page,
atwww.mcvfoundation.org, is the new "Pathways to Giving" site,
a comprehensive and easy to understand guide to making a charita-
ble gift. On the site, visitors will find detailed examples of ways to
give outright or planned gifts, explanations of tax benefits and ways
to structure your gift to receive the benefits you want, a planned gift
calculator, and an area where visitors may sign up to receive free
brochures through e-mail on a variety of charitable giving topics.

The Foundation also offers informational seminars and always
welcomes inquiries by phone. For more information, please contact
Michael Dowdy or Sharon Larkins-Pederson at (804) 828-9734.

Sally Jones is a freelance writer in Richmond, who writes for VCU, the
MCV Foundation and local publications.

S p

The Doctor is Always In:

VCU Hospitalists Focus on Inpatient Medicine

re all know patients entering the hospital
these days are sicker. Even complex ailments are
often treated on an outpatient basis, and most
people come into the hospital because they
need intensive care and treatment. Combining
the needs of more acutely ill patients with the
pressures from managed care to be efficient
and shorten lengths of stay results in a complex
balancing act. Enter the hospitalists, a new
breed of doctors whose primary professional
focus is caring for hospitalized patients.

Hospitalists serve as an extender to the primary care physician
(PCP), caring for the PCP's patients while they are hospitalized. It's
difficult to cover hospitalized patients in a timely manner while jug-
gling the needs of a busy office practice. The hospitalist allows the PCP
to focus on the patients he sees in the office with the peace of mind of
knowing his hospitalized patients are receiving quality care.

The field is "only new in the sense that it's been defined and
organized," says Dr. Stephen Freer, director of the hospitalist
program at the VCU Health System. While some
doctors have emphasized inpatient care for many
years, the term "hospitalist" was coined just
five years ago in a 1996 New England Journal
of Medicine article.

Clay Beveridge '95MD was a second year
resident at VCU when he first heard the term.
"That was when it really started to sound appeal-
ing," he remembers. "I knew at that point I didn't
want to specialize, but I also knew I didn't want
to spend all my time sitting in clinic."

At that time there were no hospitalist
programs in Richmond. But fortunately for
Beveridge, Freer and Dr. Richard Wenzel, chair-
man of the Department of Internal Medicine,
had already begun exploring the possibility of
introducing hospitalists at VCU. "I've always
preferred inpatient medicine," says Freer. "I like the higher level of
acuity and intense relationship with the patient more than the more
relaxed ambulatory care setting." Freer also believed that bringing a
hospitalist model to VCU would improve patient care and save money.

In the beginning, there were objections. Some feared that
patients would resent the break in continuity of care. But, Freer

Dr. Stephen Freer

replies, patients are accustomed to being admitted to specialists who
have expertise in their particular disease. A hospitalist is simply a
specialist in hospital-based care, admitting hundreds of patients each
year while an internist in an office-based practice might admit maybe
25 or 50 patients. Freer believes that patients accept hospitalists "to
the degree they are apprised of the model." Patients feel comfortable
when they know they are in the hands of an expert.

Without a hospitalist, the typical model is for a primary care
physician to either admit a patient to the hospital under the care of
a specialist or juggle inpatient care with an outpatient practice. With
a hospitalist, there is no typical model. "If you had a hundred hospitals
from a hundred different places," says Freer, "there would probably
be a hundred different permutations on the model."

Almost 1,000 hospitals use hospitalists, including leading institu-
tions like the Mayo Clinic, Beth Israel, and Cedars Sinai. Freer says
most hospitalists are internists, but many have some subspecialty
training. Pediatricians are beginning to adopt the model and some
family practitioners are becoming hospitalists as well. About 23 percent
of hospitalists are employed by hospitals and about 35 percent by
medical groups according to the June 18, 2001 issue of Modern
Healthcare. In the VCU model, the hospitalists are salaried within
the department of medicine.

At some hospitals, a group of doctors rotate the role of hospitalist,
so that one person focuses on inpatient medicine for a designated
portion of each year. At other hospitals, hospitalists work full-time,
year-round. The five hospitalists at VCU work through two different
models. Most patients at the VCU Health System
are admitted to one of six house staff teams of
interns, residents and medical students super-
vised by an attending physician. One of these
teams now includes a hospitalist. Freer and
two other doctors rotate in month-long shifts,
spending a total of four months a year as hospi-
talists and the rest of their time as precepts in
the resident teaching clinic. They bring their
expertise not just to the patients but also to the
medical students, helping students understand
common inpatient disorders and teaching them
how to handle the complex social and financial
problems patients often bring to the hospital.
Other attending physicians who spend less time
treating hospitalized patients are not as familiar
with these important aspects of care.
The other model at VCU is the Faculty Attending Service (FAS)
in which one doctor and one nurse practitioner focus exclusively
on inpatient care. Before hospitalists came on the scene, a different
attending physician led the FAS every two weeks. These physicians
spend most of their time in outpatient care and did not always feel
comfortable with more acute patients. Sicker patients were often

S p

Research has shown that hospitalists can reduce

hospital costs by as much as 1 5 percent

and length of stay by an average of 1 9 percent

diverted to the already overwhelmed house staff teams. This problem
has been resolved now that two hospitalists, Beveridge and Dr. Rick
Bremer, each spend six months of the year leading the FAS.

Because they spend long stretches of time focused on inpatient
care, hospitalists know how to make the system work. "Things happen
faster," says Beveridge. While a typical outpatient work-up might
take weeks or months, a hospitalist can see things evolve "in real
time." Research has shown that hospitalists can reduce hospital costs
by as much as 15 percent and length of stay by an average of 19 percent
(Modern Healthcare 6/18/01).

In a non-hospitaJist model, patients may have a number of physi-
cians and residents following them on a rotating basis, even if no
outside consultations are required. A
hospitalist model reduces that number
and patients find that reassuring. As
Beveridge explains, "my patients know
'Dr. Beveridge is taking care of me and he
is the one taking care of all the decisions
and making sure everything happens.'"
Furthermore, "if a family member stops
by and wants to know what's going on, I
can be there in fifteen minutes to answer
all their questions and allay their fears."

Nurse practitioner Dianne Wall agrees
that it's better for the family to avoid "an
onslaught of residents, attendings, and
everyone else." Wall works with Beveridge
and Bremer as the "other half of the
Faculty Attending Service. She believes that
the close relationship and tag-team interac-
tion between nurse practitioner and hospitalist "greatly improves
patient care with better continuity and follow-through." In addition,
"there's no switching teams where a lot of things can fall through
the cracks."

On a typical day, Beveridge begins by checking in to see who has
been admitted and what tests have come back. Then he picks up
the service pager and gets an update from the resident who covered
overnight. After that he visits all his patients, typically spread out on
as many as six different floors in two buildings. "It's easier to do it
one floor at a time," he says with a smile. He also calls in consulta-
tions and returns phone calls. In the afternoon, he admits new
patients and follows up on lab tests and radiology. Near the end of
the day, he usually does "chart rounds," checking in on the progress
of all his patients.

Amid all this activity, Beveridge finds time to discharge patients
and contact their primary care physicians with a report. One impor-
tant obligation of the hospitalist is to be sure the "hand-off' goes
smoothly when the patient enters and leaves the hospital. Most hos-
pitalists consult with primary care physicians when the patient is

Clay Beveridge '95MD

admitted, and then make contact again when the patient is discharged.
These conversations alert hospitalists to important details that are
not on the chart and allow primary care physicians to stay apprised
of their patients' progress.

Although a few primary care physicians have been resistant to
handing over inpatient care to hospitalists, Beveridge believes that
"most are savvy enough to know that they can make more money
focusing on outpatient care and seeing more people." Freer adds
that the demands of both inpatient and outpatient medicine are
significant, and "in the modern managed care era it becomes difficult
to do them both well and efficiently and keep everyone happy."
The hospitalist specialty has great appeal to young doctors

emerging from residency. Freer estimates
that last year 10 to 12 percent of graduating
VCU residents took jobs as hospitalists.
The National Association of Inpatient
Physicians, a resource organization for
hospitalists, estimates that 4,000 to 5,000
hospitalists are in practice today. Within
the next ten years, they expect this number
to quadruple. Freer says some residency
programs have developed special hospitalist
tracks, and some offer post-residency hos-
pitalist fellowships which focus on the
research agenda for hospital medicine.
"A lot of residents in the internal
medicine program are interested in the
field because they feel so prepared," says
Beveridge. "They know they can take care
of hospitalized patients because they do it
all the time." By talking with doctors in private practice, these resi-
dents realize that it will take them a year or two to get up to speed
in outpatient practice, and they prefer to "hit the ground running."
Because their training prepares them so well for jobs as hospitalists,
new doctors can also enter practice at higher salary levels.

But the work is intense. "Undoubtedly there will be a lot of
burnout," Beveridge predicts. He compares the field to emergency
medicine: "It's appealing in your 20s and 30s, but will probably
become less so in your 40s and 50s."

Freer acknowledges the need to guard against burnout, but he
believes that a well-conceived hospitalist model can be sustained
indefinitely. "What drives us," he says, "is that we like doing it — the
challenges and demands are more gratifying than any other field."

Joriel Foltz is a writer residing in Richmond.

S p

September 11:

VCU's MCV Campus Moves into
Action in the Midst of Mourning

he tragedies of September 1 1 touched VCU's MCV Campus on many
levels. Some students lost family members and loved ones. Faculty,
students and staff joined the rest of the VCU family in a candlelight
vigil and memorial service grieving the deaths of so many and
expressing sorrow for those whose friends and loved ones perished
in the attacks. Two VCU physicians set up an emergency treatment
center near Ground Zero shortly after the World Trade Centers'
collapse. The VCU Health System sprang into action immediately following the attacks, preparing
for potentially receiving and treating critically injured survivors. VCUHS began identifying how,
as a major regional health care system, it needs to prepare for and respond to possible future
terrorist attacks. The articles and photos on the following pages share these stories.

Couple lives tale of hell and heroism

VCU physicians aid wounded at
World Trade Center disaster

By Michael Ford

Within a half hour after the collapse of the World
Trade Center towers, VCU physicians, Joseph P.
Ornato and Mary Ann Peberdy, were aboard a
commandeered New York City bus, riding past
Ground Zero of the disaster to open a makeshift
emergency treatment center a mere six blocks from the destruction.

"Everything started out gray. Once we were within 10 or 12 blocks
of the disaster, it seemed as if we were driving through a black and
white photograph," said Peberdy, a cardiologist and assistant professor
of internal medicine in VCU's School of Medicine. "It was eerily quiet,
and there were thousands of sheets of white paper everywhere."

"It looked like the surface of the moon," said Ornato, chairman
of emergency medicine in the School of Medicine and chair of the
emergency department of the VCU Health System.

Married for seven years, the couple was in New York attending a
national conference on defribrillators chaired by Ornato. Soon after
the meeting began at the Brooklyn Marriott Hotel, alarms evacuated
the 150 conferees. They walked outside and looked across the Brooklyn
Bridge to see the Twin Towers on fire. "At this point, all of us realized
this was an act of terrorism," Ornato said.

Ornato used his pocket PC to access CNN and received early
reports from lower Manhattan. As they took in the scene, Ornato
and Peberdy encountered a woman running from a subway tunnel.
She had been in the World Trade Center but had escaped in time. As
they gave her assistance, a rumbling sound prompted them to look
across the river as the South Tower collapsed. They returned to the
hotel and sprang into action.

"I asked the group to take a moment for silent prayer for the
poor souls in that building," Ornato said. "Then we began discussing
how we could help."

Part of the group set up a first aid station at the foot of the
Brooklyn Bridge to help injured people escaping on foot from lower
Manhattan. Others responded to a request from a fire department
official to set up a triage unit at the WTC. "I told them we had five
minutes to gather supplies and cell phones and deploy," Ornato said.
"The fire department commandeered a city bus, and there we were,
heading towards the fire, smoke and debris."

By 11:15 a.m., Ornato's team of 32 doctors, nurses and paramedics
had set up a 40-bed field hospital, critical care area and morgue. Later in
the day, when the already evacuated Building 7 fell and threatened the
out-of-town volunteers at the WTC, Peberdy and Ornato were separated.

"We saw the windows from Building 7 waver back and forth, and
it collapsed," said Peberdy. "Then this wave of debris came towards
us. We were told to run. Once inside a nearby office building, Joe
and I found each other, but it was tense for a few moments."

As the afternoon gave way to night, they treated 19 people and
gave assistance to others, including an 8-year-old boy wandering
through lower Manhattan asking for a quarter to call his mother.
He said she worked in the World Trade Center and was missing.

At 10 p.m., Ornato and Peberdy returned to their hotel after an
urban search and rescue unit took over.

"It was frustrating not to have more people to treat," Peberdy
said. "We did treat firefighters and emergency people, including one
particularly tenacious firefighter who went back after being pulled
from the rubble twice."

"We just prayed to God we could do some good," Ornato said.
"The real tragedy is that the towers came down. There should have
been more survivors."

Reprinted from VCUNews September 12, 2001 Special Edition

Dr. Joseph Ornato, chair of emergency medicine
for VCU Health Systems and the School of
Medicine, and his wife, VCU cardiologist
Dr. Mary Ann Peberdy, were in Brooklyn on
September 11 for a conference on defibrillators
led by Ornato. When the attacks came, the
conference set up a first aid station at the
Brooklyn Bridge and a triage center six
blocks from the disaster.

□

5 p

Second-year medical students Gary and
Christine Bong showed their patriotic
support and honored the victims of
September 1 1 by painting an American
flag on the rooftop of their Church Hill
home. It took four days and 12 gallons
of paint.

On alert

As one of only five Level 1 Trauma Centers in the state, VCUHS's
MCV Hospitals was prepared by early afternoon for September 1 1
disaster victims. Hospital officials had set up a command center and
canceled all elective surgeries to free up operating rooms. "Everyone
was on alert — from environmental services to the emergency depart-
ment, from the physicians and nurses to volunteers," said Dr. Sheldon
Retchin, senior executive vice president and CEO of the VCU Health
System. The Evans-Haynes Burn Center staff even set up a second
fully equipped burn treatment area under the belief that many victims
would likely have severe burns. All was in response to the National
Defense Medical System Plan, which had been activated that day.
The plan calls for Richmond to be a receiving site for patients during
a major disaster.

But as the next few days wore on, it became evident that the VCU
Health System would not be receiving a single victim. "If there had
been a significant number of patients, I feel certain some would have
come to us," said Retchin.

The absence of victims coupled with regular patient loads translated
into more than a $1.2 million loss for the VCU Health System. For-
tunately, VCU was able to recoups some of those losses, thanks to
improved collections, increased patient volumes, and investment
income resulting from good bond market performance, Dominic
Puleo, VCU Health System executive vice president of corporate
finance, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Preparing for a ready
response to terrorism

As a level I trauma center and the lead hospital in central Virginia in
case of a major disaster, VCU Health System proposes $2.5 million
in improvements so it can respond effectively to a mass influx of
victims of biological or chemical attacks. As told to the Richmond
Times-Dispatch, the system is requesting an outside mass decontami-
nation shower system capable of handling hundreds of people an
hour, additional space to isolate people with contagious diseases

such as smallpox, more protective gear for hospital employees and
terrorism training for emergency room staff.

"Being able to respond very quickly to large groups of people is
critical," Dean Broga, director of environment health and safety at
VCUHS told the Times-Dispatch.

In Memoriam

Deepest sympathy is extended to those who lost family and friends in
the September 1 1 terrorist attacks, including the following:

The family and friends of Shakila Yasmin '99BS/B, 26, who worked
in computer operations for Marsh & McLennan financial services on
the 97th floor of the WTC. Her husband, Nurul Miah, 36, was also
killed that day in the WTC.

First-year medicine student Mary Vaden, who lost her fiance at
the WTC.

Binh Nguyen, a second year medicine student, who lost his brother
at the Pentagon.

Nursing student Miguel Marcos, who lost his sister at the WTC

Dani Lamana, an occupational therapy student, who lost his brother
Lt. Michael Scott Lamana, at the Pentagon

Ann Marie Salamone, physical therapy student, who lost her mother,
Majorie Champion Salamone, at the Pentagon

Linda Sierra-Carey, a student in rehabilitation counseling, who lost
nine cousins, aunts and uncles at the WTC

Rob Fazio, a VCU graduate student in psychology who lost his
father, Ronald Carl Fazio, at the WTC

Tim Van Drew, a senior majoring in electrical engineering and physics,
who lost his uncle, a New York firefighter

S p

Consumers: VCU
Health System is tops

VCU Health System recently found itself in
some elite company — Johns Hopkins Hos-
pital, Yale-New Haven Hospital and Duke
University Medical Center to name a few.
These hospital systems were among 120
nationwide selected by consumers as the
best in the nation, according to a National
Research Corporation survey. VCU's Med-
ical College of Virginia Hospitals and HCA
Henrico Doctors' Hospital were co-winners
for the Richmond market and two of the
three award recipients for the entire state.

"We are especially proud of this ranking
because it is based on consumers' assess-
ments of how well we are doing our job,"
said Dr. Eugene Trani, VCU president. "To
be included among some of the nation's
most respected health care systems is a dis-
tinct and very gratifying honor." Rankings
were based on quality and image for overall
health care service.

This year marks the third time in the
survey's six-year history that VCUHS has
received this honor. VCUHS received the
award twice in 1999, for heart care services
and overall excellence. Winners were selected
based on results from the study of more than
150,000 households, representing 400,000
consumers in markets throughout the United
States. The survey is the nation's largest and
most comprehensive study of its kind.

Four recognized for
contributions to VCU

The University honored four of its faculty
members for their superior contributions to
VCU and the community at its annual con-
vocation ceremony in September.

Distinguished Service Award recipient
Dr. Paul Wehman was honored for his tire-
less 25-year advocacy of "supported employ-
ment," the idea that individuals with signifi-
cant disabilities could
hold real jobs in their
communities if pro-
vided adequate sup-
port. Wehman's
contributions have
resulted in "jobs for
tens of thousands of
people with signifi-
cant disabilities,
many of whom were
previously unem-
ployed," says colleague Dr. Fred P. Orelove.
Wehman is professor of teacher education and

director of the Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center for the School of Medicine.

This year's Distinguished Scholar,
Dr. Lindon Eaves is distinguished professor
of human genetics
and co-director of
the Virginia Institute
for Psychiatric and
Behavioral Genetics,
widely known as the
home of the Mid-
Atlantic Twin Reg-
istry. Colleagues
from around the
globe consider
Eaves, "the most

creative and original statistical geneticist of
his generation," and "the most accom-
plished and acclaimed scientist currently
working in the field of behavior genetics."

Dr. Leila Christenbury, recipient of
the University Award for Excellence, is the
School of Education's primary English edu-
cator and a well-
respected advisor
and mentor among
the countless educa-
tors she has helped
shape. A nominating
colleague called her,
"the epitome of what
a faculty member
should be: intellectu-
ally curious, sensi-
tive, scholarly and
involved." Christenbury is president of the
National Council of Teachers of English and
past editor of The English Journal

Dr. Michael Joyce Sheridan, associate
professor in VCU's School of Social Work,
received the Distinguished Teaching Award.
She teaches areas from social justice to
research methods,
and her special inter-
est in the relation-
ship between spiritu-
ality and social work
resonates with her
students. A former
student remembers
her lessons "to fol-
low our hearts and
minds into areas of
social work that we

feel are relevant to the needs of the clients
we serve regardless of how other colleagues
may look upon that choice."

Heading north

Pending a final okay from the General
Assembly, VCU Health System will broaden
its horizons by creating Northern Virginia's
first medical school campus at INOVA Fair-
fax Hospital. The joint venture already has
won approval from the State Council of
Higher Education for Virginia.

VCU President Eugene Trani believes the
new campus "will add a unique dimension
to VCU's School of Medicine, creating a rich
clinical experience for students and resi-
dents, that will help attract researchers to the
area, especially in the growing biotechnology
fields." He added that INOVA's proximity
to the nation's capital and its hefty volume
of patients could elevate VCU in national
research rankings. The Fairfax hospital is one
of the busiest in Northern Virginia, admitting
more than 40,000 adult patients in each of
the last four years. That's about 10,000 more
than VCU Health System.

Plans include undergraduate medical
education for 50 VCU students in their third
or fourth year of medical school, residency
training, continuing medical education
and joint clinical outcomes research and
biotechnology. Residency programs will be
in surgery, psychiatry and internal medicine.
The first 25 students will begin study at the
VCU-INOVA campus in the fall of 2005,
and a second 25 will begin in 2006. The plan
is patterned after one at the University of
Arizona, and similar programs exist in Indi-
ana, Kansas and Texas.

"INOVA welcomes this partnership with
a top academic medical center," says Knox
Singleton, INOVA Health System president
and CEO. "Along with enhancing opportu-
nities for collaborative research, the school
will increase the supply of locally-trained
physicians, particularly in specialties that
are in short supply."

On board

Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore appointed VCU

Alumnus David

Baldacci, best-selling

author of "Absolute

Power" and other

political suspense

novels, to the VCU

board of visitors this

fall. Also joining the

board are G. Bryan

Slater, political

director of the

Republican National David Baldacci

Committee, Laura McMichael, Republican U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor's
finance director, and E. Janet Riddick, policy analyst at the Office of
the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

State Budget Drives Changes

The Commonwealth's budget situation will have a serious effect on
higher education and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Based on the recommendations of the General Assembly's Joint
Conference Committee, VCU will face significant budget reductions
in the current fiscal year and in the 2002-04 biennium. VCU's budget
reductions are expected to total $18.8 million in fiscal year 2002-03
and $25.3 million in 2003-04. These reductions represent general
fund cuts of 10.6% and 14.3%, respectively.

The state budget recommendations assume that some portion
of these cuts will be offset with new revenue generated from tuition
increases although the Conference Committee recommendations
limit increases to 9% for resident undergraduate students.

Assuming that tuition increases of between 6 and 9 percent each
year are approved by the Board of Visitors, support for the instruc-
tional mission of the University will be reduced by approximately
5% each year. That is roughly equivalent to the combined budgets of
the Schools of Education and Engineering or the Schools of Nursing
and Pharmacy.

The Conference Committee has recommended increases in student
financial aid of $353,000 in fiscal year 2002-03 and $724,000 in fiscal
year 2003-04. These increases are expected to maintain the current level
of support for financial aid assuming tuition increases in each year.

Efforts are currently underway across the University to develop
plans for implementing the anticipated budget cuts. It is expected
that the University will face many difficult decisions in the budget
planning process.

The Conference Committee has included compensation adjust-
ments in its budget recommendations. A one-time bonus of 2.5%
for faculty and staff is recommended for November 25, 2002, and a
permanent salary increase of 2.75% on November 25, 2003.

The Conference Committee recommendations for indigent-care
funding at the VCU Health System include additional funding in
fiscal year 2003-04 of $21.5 million in general funds and an estimated
$7.6 million in nongeneral funds. At this time, it is unclear as to the
source of the additional nongeneral funds.

There is better news with regard to VCU's capital outlay program
and a proposal by Senator John Chichester and Delegate Vincent
Callahan. This proposal — known as Building Virginia's Future - calls
for a capital construction program of $1.2 billion for colleges and
universities over the next six to eight years. Of the total higher edu-
cation package, $845.9 million is included in a General Obligation
Bond bill subject to voter approval in November 2002.

Under this proposal, VCU would receive approximately $84.4 million
in funding for almost all of the capital projects approved by the Board
of Visitors in the University's Six- Year Infrastructure Plan for 2002-04.
(See summary of projects included in this proposal below.) Although
the Building Virginia's Future proposal does not include support for
related equipment costs estimated at $12.7 million, it is expected that
an alternative funding mechanism will be found to address these costs.
Also, the proposed plan includes the issuance of $2 million in Virginia
Public Building Authority bonds to provide for the acquisition of land
for the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park.

The Conference Committee recommendations continue funding
for the maintenance reserve program, although at a lower level.
Under the Conference Committee's recommendations, VCU would
receive $4.0 million in general funds in the 2002-04 biennium.
VCU's maintenance reserve funding in 2000-02 totals $7.2 million.

Despite the bleak budgetary outlook, VCU remains committed
to its mission to provide education for resident and nonresident
students. The University now looks to developing ways to lessen its
dependence on state funds, including recruiting more nonresident
students, attracting more research grants, and attracting more private
gifts for endowments and student scholarships.

VCU Capital Projects in
"Building Virginia's Future"

Project Description Capital Package

Code Compliance: Life/Fire Safety $ 2,912,000

Hibbs Building Classroom Renovations 1,022,000

Business Building Classroom Renovations 1,307,000

West Hospital/G.B. Johnson Renovations 14,308,000

Massey Cancer Center Addition 1 0,099,000

Medical Sciences Building, Phase II 22,550,000

Sanger Research Laboratory Renovations, Phase I 8,425,000

Hibbs Building Major Renovations 8,766,000

Music Center Renovations 3,407,000

University Libraries 1,907,000

Construct School of Engineering, Phase II 6,200,000

Franklin Terrace 3,524,000

Total $84,427,000

VCU ON THE FOREFRONT
OF LIFE SCIENCES

VCU dedicated its new Eugene P. and Lois E. Trani Center for Life
Sciences, named for the VCU president and his wife, on Nov. 15.
The opening included a forum on bioterrorism to showcase the
center's innovative course. Life Sciences 101, for freshman science
majors. The course positions VCU in the forefront of American uni-
versities in teaching life sciences, including biotechnology, forensics,
environmental studies and bioinformatics (the analysis of genomic
information by large computers) that likely will dominate 21st cen-
tury scientific learning.

Three VCU professors, involved in projects designed to counter
bioterrorism, served as panelists in the one-hour special course session.
Panelists were:

• Dr. Richard Wenzel, an epidemiologist and VCU chairman of
internal medicine who was named first editor-at-large of the
New England Journal of Medicine. He is one of the few practicing
physicians to have observed the nearly extinct disease of small-
pox, which he encountered while training in Bangladesh.

• Dr. Karen Kester, an entomologist and VCU assistant professor
of biology, whose current research focuses on the use of insects
as environmental sensors.

• Dr. Denise Pettit, VCU adjunct professor of microbiology and
immunology and special projects lead scientist at the Virginia
Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. Pettit has a grant
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aimed at
countering the effects of anthrax and four other biological
agents that terrorists could employ to spread such diseases as
botulism, plaque, brucellosis and tularemia.

The dedication of the $28.1 million Eugene P. and Lois E. Trani
Center for Life Sciences followed the bioterrorism forum. About 600
guests, including state and national leaders in the sciences and gov-
ernment, toured the building, viewed video presentations and
attended a gala reception and dinner.

VCU's life sciences program won the 2001 Virginia Biotechnology
Initiative Award in October at the joint awards banquet for the
Virginia Biotechnology Association annual convention, and the
Governor's Conference on Human Genomics, the Family and the
Law, held in Alexandria, Va.

S p

VCU ACQUIRES NEW PET SCANNER

VCU recently added a PET scanner to its diagnostic imaging capabil-
ities. The PET scanner, short for Positron Emission Tomography,
takes images of the body that show changes in metabolic activity and
chemistry at the cellular level. The scanner is just the first tool of the
advanced imaging center opening in 2002 in the Gateway Building.

Dr. James Tatum, VCU radiology chair, explains that advanced
imaging comes at a time when scientists are making huge advances
in understanding the molecular basis of disease, as more and more of
the human genome is being mapped. A PET scanner, he says, "allows
us to detect diseases early, develop new therapies and closely monitor
the success of those therapies."

PET scans can be used in numerous specialties, including heart
and neurological disorders and many types of cancers. And they can
be used at every stage of disease, from detection and measuring the
extent of disease to monitoring a patient's response to treatment,
providing early feedback on whether a therapy is working.

The new Gateway imaging center, in partnership with General
Electric, also will feature a high-resolution MR] scanner, a MicroPET
scanner for research, and a cyclotron, which will produce radioisotopes
needed for both PET scanners' clinical and research applications.

Moving to a doctorate

Future VCU physical therapy graduate students will earn a doctorate
degree instead of the current master's degree. Dr. Mary Snyder Shall
'91PhD/M-BH, department interim chair and associate professor, said
the new three-year program, slated to begin fall 2002, "will allow us
to maintain our leadership role among physical therapy programs
nationally." The department's graduate program is ranked 15th
nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Current master's students,
scheduled to graduate in May 2002, may choose to continue in the
program toward a doctorate or to graduate with a master's degree.

•Scripting 'ER' at VCU

You won't see actual scenes filmed at VCU, but scenarios and tech-
niques picked up at VCU may find their way onto the longtime hit
NBC television show 'ER.' This summer, 'ER' writer Elizabeth
Hunter spent two days in MCV Hospitals' emergency room observing
procedures, talking with staff and soaking up the environment in
hopes of uncovering material for future episodes.

Hunter said, "We had heard about your facility and some of the
innovative things VCU is doing in the field of emergency medicine
from one of our show's staff physicians." She added, "you have a
smart approach to emergency medicine." Dr. Joseph Ornato, VCU
emergency medicine chair, arranged the visit, in part, to "help pro-
vide a reality check" for television writers, so they may represent
"the true professional care that is provided."

Hunter spent day and evening shifts in the trauma and other
treatment areas, including the pediatric emergency unit. She said she
was particularly impressed with the department's close collaboration
with the city's EMS system, the chest-pain triage initiative, the
department's patient volume and the overall level of care provided.

New neurosurgical center

Already home to a top neurotrauma program, the VCU Health
System, in July, opened the Harold F. Young Neurosurgical Center.
It is named for the nationally recognized chairman of neurosurgery
at MCV Hospitals. "This is a center for the people," said Dr. Young.
"It will be an active, dynamic and progressive care center that will
bring together the very best science and experience can offer."

The center, at the MCV Hospitals' Ambulatory Care Center, will
provide patients the best treatment and research in areas of pediatric
neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, restorative neurosurgery, neurovascular
and neurotrauma. The center also will treat traumatic spine injuries
and perform reconstructive procedures. Among the many funding
sources, a grateful patient of Dr. Young's pledged $2 million to
establish the Harold Young Chair in Neurosurgery. In his 29th year
at MCV Hospitals, Dr. Young created a surgical team that is among
the nation's leading head-trauma programs, generating more than
$25 million in National Institutes of Health research grants.

Preventing maltreatment
of the disabled

The Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities at VCU won
a $300,000 grant to educate health professionals to better prevent,
recognize and intervene in cases of maltreatment of individuals with
disabilities. The three-year Project of
National Significance Award was granted
by the Administration on Developmental
Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.

VIDD will collaborate with universities
in seven states and protection and advoca-
cy agencies in five states to address deficits
in the knowledge and skills of health care
professionals. VIDD also will develop
Web-based content for a broader audience.

Dr. Fred Orelove, executive director,
says the VIDD is "delighted to receive
this recognition as a leader, both within
Virginia and nationally," adding that the
grant allows the institute "to build on
a successful track record in the area of abuse and disabilities."

Recent studies show that individuals with disabilities are more
likely to be maltreated than their non-disabled peers.

"There is so much that health professionals can do to prevent
this type of maltreatment," says Dr. Ann Cox, project director. Cox
believes the institute's job "will be to help them realize the magni-
tude of the issue and provide accessible information designed to
enhance their knowledge and skills."

Poison control:
nationwide and toll-free

VCU's Virginia Poison Center earned a $387,741 federal grant to
raise public awareness and educate residents about its participation
in a new program that links poison centers nationwide. "Poison
centers are using funds made available through these federal grants
to develop, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, a single nationwide toll-free poison control number,
said Dr. S. Rutherford Rose, Virginia Poison Center (VPC) director
and emergency medicine associate professor.

The three-year award from the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services will allow the VPC to increase marketing, add a
seventh poison information specialist and upgrade computer

Dr. Ann Cox

systems. The VPC received the largest grant available, due to its
regional service area of nearly 2.4 million people and 42 acute care
hospitals in central and eastern Virginia. With nearly 80 calls a day
and more than 30,000 annually, the center offers service 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. Calls are answered by registered nurses with
acute care or critical care experience.

Studying nicotine and marijuana

VCU researchers won a $7.9 million NIH grant to study nicotine and
marijuana receptors in the body and the effects of acute and chronic
drug abuse exposure. The five-year award will fund eight concurrent
research projects in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Center for
Drug Abuse Research at VCU, led primarily by investigators from
the schools of medicine and pharmacy.

Two projects will focus on nicotine, which is generating interest
as a possible analgesic. But Dr. Billy Martin, NIDA center director
and chair of pharmacology and toxicology, says, "there are other
effects that aren't desirable such as changes in blood pressure. We
know nicotine acts on a system that interacts with pain pathways, so
there's something here for us to learn about the mechanism of pain
perception." Six more projects will involve marijuana, concentrating
on tolerance, dependence, receptors in the body, and potential links
to the immune system.

Wenzel first NEJM e d i to r- at-l a r g e

Ttie New England Journal of Medicine appointed Dr. Richard P. Wenzel,
VCU internal medicine chairman, its first editor-at-large this fall.
One of the world's most prestigious academic publications, NEJM
sought an independent editor in an attempt to minimize
conflict of interest. Wenzel, an internationally recognized expert on
infectious disease, is a frequently sought editorialist among leading
medical publications for his vision of the field. In his new appoint-
ment, he will choose referees to evaluate submissions, review resulting
critiques and make final acceptance or rejection decisions.

Women lead the way

Dr. Karen Sanders, professor of internal medicine, was among 45
women nationwide selected for a prestigious leadership program for
women in medicine, the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership
in Academic Medicine Program for Women (ELAM). The program
has chosen four VCU professors since 1994.

Well-known in the School of Medicine as the driving force
behind many key initiatives, Sanders is a founding member of the
MCV Women in Medicine Faculty Organization, and she chairs the
medical school's committee on the Status of Women and Minorities.
She said she is looking forward to "learning from other women and
then bringing that shared knowledge back to benefit our school."
During the program, Sanders will do a yearlong fellowship focusing
on the skills, perspectives and knowledge for effective management
in academic health centers.

"ELAM is arguably the best leadership development program for
women in medicine in the country," said Dr. H.H. Newsome, dean
of the School of Medicine. "It is an exceptional testament to the
quality of our faculty that we have had four women chosen to partic-
ipate in the past seven years."

Pet your dog,

and call me in the morning

Do animals hold special healing powers for humans? A new VCU
center attempts to discover the answer to this and other questions
involving the health benefits of interaction with companion animals.
The VCU Center for Human- Animal Interaction is a national first.
Such centers usually reside at veterinary schools. The School of
Medicine will house VCU's center.

Dr. Sandra Barker, center director, professor of psychiatry, and
adjunct professor in Virginia Tech's Veterinary College Department
of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, has published numerous studies

on therapeutic benefits of the
human-animal bond, including
a 1998 study showing that psy-
chiatric patients' anxiety levels
significantly decreased after
spending just 30 minutes with
a therapy dog.

Barker calls the field,
"emerging. . . with more evi-
dence coming to light about
the health benefits of interact-
ing with companion animals."
She adds, "VCU is seen as one
of the leaders because of some
of the work we've already com-
pleted in this area."

In addition to research, center services include pet-loss counseling
services, animal-assisted therapy to help patients meet treatment
goals with certified therapy animals, and animal-assisted activities
or pet visitation to soothe anxious hospital patients facing serious
medical treatments. Collaborating will be faculty in family practice
medicine, preventative medicine, psychology, addiction psychiatry,
business, pharmacy, rehabilitation counseling and gerontology.

"The patients tell us they love having the therapy dogs come to
visit them, and we have seen some remarkable patient improvement
following some of these interactions," said Barker.

woolf elected

to Institute of Medicine

Dr. Steven H. Woolf, professor and director of research in the
Department of Family Practice, became VCU's fourth professor
elected to the highly prestigious National Academy of Sciences'
Institute of Medicine. VCU President Eugene Trani calls Woolf
"an intellectual giant in medicine," adding "this is a great honor for
Dr. Woolf to be elected and reflects well, once again, on the quality
of researchers at VCU."

Woolf s work focuses on health services research and medicine
based on extensive scientific review. He is author of 60 articles and
two books, and he consults with government agencies and profes-
sional organizations on methods for reviewing scientific facts and
on matters related to preventative medicine. Woolf also is a member
of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, is active nationally in
health services research and public policy, and has consulted in
Europe as a visiting scholar.

The Institute of Medicine's mission is to enhance health care by
providing objective scientific information about health policy to the
public, government and corporations.

When Morkoc and Kendler talk. . .

Two VCU scientists, Dr. Hadis Morkoc and Dr. Kenneth Kendler,
are among the most quoted scholars in the world, according to a
recent survey, and two of only three Virginia researchers on the list.
The survey, compiled by the Institute for Scientific Information
(ISI), studied scholarly documents published between 1981 and 1999
to determine the most often cited sources.

Kendler, professor of psychiatry and human genetics and co-
director of VCU's Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral
Genetics, was a reference more than 9,000 times, frequently in neu-
roscience. Many citations reflect his studies integrating the methods
of psychiatric epidemiology, psychiatric genetics and molecular
genetics that determine the role of genetic and environmental risk
factors in the development and expression of mental illness and
drug abuse.

Morkoc, professor of electrical engineering, was cited for his
work in electrical engineering and physics, with more than 15,000
mentions, many relating to his invention and development of tran-
sistors used in telecommunications.

S P

SCARAB

A REVOLUTIONARY NEW ARMY BANDAGE

Diapers on battlefields? Not exactly, but VCU researchers have devel-
oped a new high-tech bandage for the U.S. Army, called the Bio
Hemostat, that chief investigator Dr. Marcus Carr likens to Pampers
diapers. Carr, professor of internal medicine, pathology and biomedical
engineering, says the device's fibrous material can absorb about
1 ,400 times its weight and
expands as it absorbs, making
it a better alternative than the
ages-old battlefield tourniquet.

"The good thing about a
tourniquet is it stops all blood
flow," says Carr, who also is
president of Hemodyne Inc.,
located in the Virginia Biotech-
nology Research Park. "But the
bad thing is it can cause compli-
cations, such as nerve damage
and blood stoppage, that
increase the risk of amputation."
The BioHemostat expands when
wet to fill a wound and stop
arterial bleeding, allowing blood *,c™1
to continue flowing to other parts of

the limb and reducing amputation risks. A medic or another soldier
can insert the device into a wound until removed by a surgeon.

Two-thirds of all combat-related deaths are from bleeding, and
80 percent of those deaths occur within 15 minutes of injury. What's
more, military statistics show that the limb amputation rate resulting
from battlefield arterial wounds has not improved since World War II.
Carr cites consumer use as well: 50 percent of all civilian trauma
deaths are from bleeding. He presented his early work at a U.S.
Department of Defense conference in Florida on Sept. 1 1 . The device
has received national exposure, including coverage in the Boston Globe.

OxyContin maker

hires former vcu professor

Dr. Sidney Schnoll, former addiction and pain medicine specialist
at VCU, will serve as medical director for health policy for Purdue
Pharma L.P., the company that in the last year has come under heavy
fire over abuse of its painkiller OxyContin.

Schnoll, who will lead a team of outside consultants studying
diversion and misuse of prescription drugs such as OxyContin,
pointed out, "We have to balance the fact that there are patients who
get amazing benefits they have not gotten before," as reported in the
Richmond Times-Dispatch.

OxyContin is available in a variety of potencies and designed to
be released in the blood stream over a period of hours, bringing
long-lasting pain control. But addicts are crushing the pills and
either injecting or snorting the powder for a fast high. Illegal use
of the drug has sparked an unprecedented crime wave in parts of
Southwest Virginia and most recently in Northern Virginia.

Schnoll said Purdue Pharma's educational courses for physicians
are nonpromotional, and plans are underway to produce a form of
the drug that's harder to abuse.

Distance-learning
program top rated

Long-distance learning is proving to be a fruitful venture for VCU's
School of Allied Health Professions and its students. The school's
innovative health-related sciences Ph.D. program was ranked among
the best in the nation in the first quartile of the 2000 National Doc-
toral Program Survey.

Allied Health Professions Dean Cecil B. Drain said the school
"is certainly gratified" to see the distance-learning program earn this
recognition just three years from its inception, adding that the pro-
gram "has already become a benchmark for other distance-learning
programs across the country." The program offers specialty tracks
in clinical laboratory sciences, gerontology, health administration,
nurse anesthesia, occupational therapy, physical therapy, radiation
sciences and rehabilitation leadership.

The school also had five departments ranked as top programs in
the nation in the U.S. News and World
Report 2001 rankings.

Easier and earlier
detection of
heart attacks

A Maryland company hopes its new elec-
trocardiac mapping system, called Prime,
will someday replace the traditional but
often troubled electrocardiogram, or ECG,
the standard instrument for detecting
heart attacks for almost 60 years.

Today's ECG, or EKG, uses 12 sensors
to measure electrical signals emitted by a
patient's heart, but, some estimates find it
frequently fails to detect up to 60 percent
of heart attacks because it can't spot dam-
age in several key areas.
Dr. Joseph Ornato, VCU professor and chair of emergency medi-
cine, has been testing the new device for two years for Meridian
Medical Technologies, Inc. "We've all known for some time that the
12-lead ECG is the best we had, but it has important limitations. One
of the real innovations of the Prime system is the transformation of
data. The Prime system is processing that information and making
a pictorial display. It becomes very easy. . .to see if something is
wrong," Ornato told the Washington Post News Service.

Using 80 sensors and computer software, Prime is designed to
detect heart attacks earlier and more accurately. Meridian claims
early test results are very encouraging, and the company hopes the
FDA will green light its sale in the U.S. within six months.

VCU PART OF NCI
PROSTATE CANCER STUDY

This summer, VCU's Massey Cancer Center began enrolling men in
the largest-ever prostate cancer prevention study, conducted by the
National Cancer Institute. VCU is one of 400 sites in the U.S., Puerto
Rico and Canada participating in the study. The trial will involve
testing more than 32,000 men (more than 100 at VCU) on whether
two dietary supplements, selenium and vitamin E, can protect
against prostate cancer. Dr. Unyime Nseyo, VCU chair of urology
and principal investigator of the VCU leg of the study, said this trial
will give a definitive answer about whether the two supplements help
prevent prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause
of death among men in the U.S., striking African-American men at a
younger age and higher rate.

High-tech heart surgery

A VCU cardiology professor is turning heads across the country for
his cutting-edge research in treating heart patients with laser surgery.
Dr. On Topaz recently had two studies published in well-respected
professional journals. The first study, in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine,

SCARAB

S p

showed the safety and feasibility of using excimer laser angioplasty
to treat patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). The
second study, in a European/American peer-reviewed journal called
Thrombosis and Haemostasis, found that the same excimer laser
energy significantly diminishes the ability of platelets to aggregate
into thrombus (a blood clot in the vascular system). Thrombus
formation in the coronary arteries is the primary cause of heart
attacks and severe chest pain and is a complicating factor during
angioplasty procedures.

New cochlear implant device

VCU has served as one of the largest clinical trial sites in the U.S. for
an advanced cochlear implant device recently approved by the F.D.A.
University researchers already have successfully implanted the new
device in more than 40 adults and children.

Cochlear implants, developed by the company MED-EL, aid indi-
viduals with mild to severe hearing loss by taking over the job of the
cochlea or inner ear. Hearing loss often is caused when the cochlear
nerve cannot send sound information to the brain. The implant uses
a microphone that picks up sound and turns it into electrical signals,
which pass through the implant and are transmitted to the brain as
sound. The implants, available since 1977, first required a large,
bulky battery, but the new device is the first system that sits entirely
behind the ear.

"About two thirds of the patients we have implanted have been
children," says Dr. Suzanne Hasenstab, VCU director of audiology
who has led the VCU cochlear implant program for 15 years. "These
are kids whose lives are going to be completely different and better
because of the cochlear implant."

New findings may

improve hepatitis c treatment

A new VCU study shows that the effectiveness of a hepatitis C drug
can now be determined much earlier than ever before. Dr. Mitchell
Shiffman, VCU chief of hepatology, co-authored the study analyzing
data from a Phase-3 study of pegylated interferon alfa-2a (Pegasys),
a longer acting form of the medication interferon, the only known
medication for treating the hepatitis C virus, a blood-borne disease
that attacks the liver.

The data revealed that patients who respond well after 12 weeks
of treatment on the pegylated interferon, taken along with the anti-
viral drug ribavirin, are more likely to respond to the medication
long term. Before now, the waiting period was six months.

Shiffman says these results will mean better care for patients.
Interferon treatment generally involves year-long treatment, with
possible severe side effects, including flu-like symptoms, depression,
dizziness and nausea. "Committing to one year of therapy is difficult
for many patients," says Shiffman, adding that the new waiting period
makes it a "more reasonable time frame for them." VCU is one of
about 40 sites worldwide studying the drug.

Finding
signs

A first-year
medical student
at VCU is a sure
sign of the times.
Nicole Kissane
came to medical
school with a
nationally promi-
nent research
study already
under her belt —
a simplified sign
system she devel-
oped to help

autistic children and adult stroke victims communicate with their
families. The project received national coverage from NBC's "Today"
show, The Washington Post and CNN, and Kissane was chosen as one
of the CosmoGirls! of the year by CosmoGirl! magazine.

Kissane says she's excited that her undergraduate thesis "is not
just going to gather dust on a shelf. It could radically change lives."
She and fellow researchers put the new system on a Web site
(www.simplifiedsigns.org), which, to their surprise, received thou-
sands of hits. Kissane was swamped with emails from grateful families,
who in some cases were communicating with their children for the
first time.

She first learned about the project after enrolling in a child
psychology class as a freshman at U.Va. The idea behind the project,
headed by psychology professor John Bonvillian, was to develop a
simple sign system, which would be more universal and easier to use
than American Sign Language. Kissane joined the project and spent
the next three years immersed in the research as she developed a
system of 500 signs, the Web site and a future manual.

Kissane, who has always wanted to go to medical school, dreams
of becoming a surgeon. "VCU was my first choice. I'd heard from
surgeons that this was the place to be."

Positive responses

key for child abuse victims

Responding positively when a child reports sexual abuse may save
him or her from a lifetime of psychiatric or substance abuse prob-
lems, according to a new study by a team of VCU researchers. The
study, in the November British Journal of Psychiatry, found that a
supportive response and effective action can reduce the risk for
development of psychiatric disorders, and that the characteristics
of abuse also contribute to risk.

"A positive response that brings an end to an abusive situation is
important because the victim will feel they had some degree of control
over their environment during a seemingly uncontrollable time,"
said Dr. Cynthia Bulik, VCU associate professor of psychiatry and
lead author. "We've known for several years that there is a connec-
tion between childhood sexual abuse and development of psychiatric
disorders. These new findings specifically identify which characteristics
of a sexually abusive situation put victims at greater risk and which
actions reduced risk."

Near-record donations

VCU celebrated its second greatest fund-raising year in University
history with more than $33.8 million in donations last fiscal year, a
38 percent increase over the previous year. In 1998-1999 fiscal year,
the University raised $35 million, but, as VCU President Eugene
Trani pointed out, "We were in the last year of our 'Partners for
Progress' campaign. Considering this is a noneampaign year, the
$33.8 million is truly remarkable."

Heart Center exceeds goal

The VCU Heart Center's recent fund-raising campaign was a rousing
success, with more than $8.2 million raised — exceeding its goal
by $1.4 million. New funds will support education, clinical care
and research, with five new professorships and a cardiology chair
created, $2 million funding a new chest-pain initiative, and $1.5
million supporting research, including fellowships. The Theresa A.
Thomas Memorial Foundation kicked off the campaign with a
$2 million challenge grant and later made another $1 million gift
to create an endowment supporting nurses and other nonphysician
Heart Center staff.

Dr. George Vetrovec, VCU cardiology chairman and Heart Center
director, said, "Our goal is to improve the lives of people by advancing
the boundaries of medicine through research and with excellent
patient care."

5 p

□

•Member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU
* Life Member of the MCV Alumni Association
of VCU

Our mistake:

In the last issue, Constance Bak should
have been listed as Constance Bak
'81MS (CLS)/AH.

1MB

"Walter Dickey '44DDS retired
in 1 993 after 48 years of dental prac-
tice. Dickey spent a few of those years
working with his son, Floyd Dickey
'83DDS. He also was a consultant for
the Virginia Western Dental School.
Dickey lives in Roanoke, VA and
would like to hear from classmates.
"Jenny Fratrick '47BS/N and
"Albert Fratrick '58MD recently
celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary. They are both retired
and enjoying life in Appomattox, VA.
*lra Gould '44DDS isenjoying
retirement at his home in Virginia
Beach after 52 years of dentistry. He
would love to hear from classmates.
"Thomas Iden '44MD was one
of four classmates, at the time he
entered MCV, that had had a father
attend MCV. His father was Carroll
Iden '15MD.

imzi

"John "Jack" Jones '57MD
and "Margaret Jones '61MD

both recently retired. Jack retired
from the department of medicine in
the College of Human Medicine,
Michigan State University in June,
after 32 years and is now professor
emeritus. For his first 14 years with
the school he developed and imple-
mented Problem-Based Curricula for
the students to use during their first
two years. This was well before Prob-
lem-Based Curricula became a popu-
lar mode of medical education and
spread to other schools of medicine.
In 1985, after a year of retraining in
geriatric medicine at the University of
Edinburgh, Scotland, Jack, along with
two other members of the faculty,
developed a multidisciplinary geri-
atric assessment clinic in Lansing,
MI, where he continues to work part
time since retiring from the university.
Margaret also retired from MSU after
a career in neuropathology and
research in molecular biology. She
recently graduated from Garrett

Vital Signs

Evangelical Seminary and is now
completing extra training in clinical
pastoral care while working on the
ordination process to become a United
Methodist minister. "Life for both of
us has been exciting and challenging
and who knows what the future has
in store!" says Margaret.

EOXQ

Joseph Morrison Jr. '69 H S M

has been elected chairman of the
board for Chatham-Savannah Youth
Futures Authority. Morrison has
been a member since 1991 and has
served on the executive committee
for several years.

"Joseph Parker Jr. 62 M D is
resigning as chair of the Pathology
and Lab Medical at the University
of Louisville but will remain on the
faculty as director of neuropathology
and as pathology residency program
director.

"Robert Taber '63PhD(P&T)
/M-BH has been appointed to the
Palatin Technologies, Inc. board of
directors. Taber is the co-founder
and chief executive officer of Message
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a private start-up
biotechnology company developing
a drug discovery platform based on
RNA regulations. He was also the
first recipient of the DuPont Merck
Research and Development Award of
Excellence. Taber has authored over
50 papers and abstracts.
"Peter Trager '68DDS has been
elected chairman of the Council of
Insurance and Retirement Programs
for the American Dental Association.
Trager lives in Marietta, GA.

William Adams '74MHA

( H A )/A H is the president and CEO for
Reston Hospital Center in Reston, VA.
"James Bowman III '79MD

recently received an MS in Manage-
ment from NC State University
College of Management. Bowman
is now an associate medical director
with CIGNA Healthcare of North
Carolina in Raleigh.
Ranes Chakravorty '72HS-M
recently retired from his position as
professor of surgery at the University

of Virginia and surgeon with the
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
Salem, VA.

"Joan Corder-Mabe '70BS/N
'81MS/N has been promoted to
director for the Division of Women's
and Infant's Health at the Virginia
Department of Health.
James Hamilton '76BS(B)
/Hum&Sci '79MD is the president
of the medical executive council of
Rappahannock General Hospital.
Hamilton is in private practice at
Rappahannock OB-Gyn Medical.
Bill Harrington '78MD and
family are still living in Midlothian,
VA and all is well. Harrington is off
to Kigoma in February to relieve the
missionary doctors for two weeks. His
spare time is filled with the outreach
ministry, pastor search team, and
leadership in a practical spirituality
discussion at church.
W. Emory Lewis Jr. '77MD
has joined the Northern Neck State
Bank's advisory board, which serves
Northumberland and Lancaster in VA.
Lewis has a private family medicine
practice and is a member ot many pro-
fessional associations and organizations.
Mark Montgomery '77MHA
(HA)/ AH is the new human
resources director for St. Luke's
Hospital in Bluefield, WV.
Mark Parrington '77MHA
(HA)/ AH is the new vice president
for system integration and develop-
ment at Cleveland Clinic Health
System in Cleveland, OH.
**A. Wright Pond Sr. '70DDS
had his business named "Business of
the Month for March" by the Colo-
nial Heights Chamber of Commerce.
"Richard Sedwick '75MD
recently passed the board certification
for the American Board of Obstetrics
and Gynecology. He is a member of
many boards and organizations and is
a fellow in the American College of
OB/Gyn.

KjLLLD

Sam Ballou '84BS/N received
Alleghany Regional Hospital's 2000
Frist Humanitarian Award for
employee of the year, which is the
highest honor bestowed upon an
employee within the Hospital Corpo-
ration of America, the parent company

S p

of ARH. Ballou works in the intensive
care and emergency department. He
has been instrumental to the Dabney S.
Lancaster Community College Precep-
torship Program and much of its suc-
cess is attributed to him. He also gives
cardiac lectures to the nursing students
at the college on his own time.
Thomas Bassler Jr. '89MD
has joined the staff of Holy Family
Hospital in Spokane, WA as a staff
pathologist.

LeeAliison Boris '87BS/P
currently works for Indian River
Pharmacy in Vero Beach, FL and does
nursing home consulting.
Pamela Davis '80MD is region
medical director for Merck and Com-
pany, Inc. Davis lives in Scottsdale, AZ.
*L. Beth McEwen Hungate
'88BS/N '95MS/N '98Cert
(NP)/N andH.D., her husband, are
celebrating the November 6, 2000,
birth of Kendall Rose. The family lives
in Manakin-Sabot, VA.
Delia Corbin-Johnson '89BS/P
and husband, Larry, are pleased to
announce the birth of Jahnise India, on
September 27. She joins brother James.
Corbin-Johnson is employed with
Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta, GA.
Ann Dinius '89Cert(G)/AH
retired in January as professor-emeritus
from the University of New Mexico.
Dinius was formerly an associate pro-
fessor in the VCU School of Dentistry
and also the founding director of the
Division of Dental Hygiene.
Daniel Garfinkel '81MD has
joined the staff at Salem Family
Health Center as a family practice
physician.

Shelia Hai ley- Walters
'86BS(DH)/D and her husband
Steve, are happy to announce the
birth of their third child, John Andre,
on December 5. John joins brother,
Kyle, and sister, Hailey. Hailey- Walters
is the owner of RDH Relief, Ltd., a
temporary hygiene support agency.
The family lives in Chesterfield, VA.
Pamela Hannaman-Pittman
'84MS(BC)/M recently completed
her N. D. (Doctor of Naturopathic
Medicine) degree from Bastyr Uni-
versity in June. She is now a resident
at Bastyr Center for Natural Health
and is a licensed ND, practicing as a
primary care provider in Seattle, WA.
Michael Kerner '85MS (HA)/AH
has been appointed executive vice
president/administrator for Bon Sec-
ours St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond.
Anne Vilushis '83BS(PT)/AH
is working for Rehab Associates of
Central Virginia.

Denise Allan! "91MHA(HA)/AH

is a risk manager with Bon Secours
Health System in Richmond.
•Eric Bell '95MS(HA)/AH is
the new Virginia Medicaid Director.
Lisa Berry '94BS/N married
Walter Smith on September 15, 2001.
Berry is a registered nurse at the
Hematology and Oncology Associa-
tion and Smith works on his family's
dairy farm. The couple lives in
Beaverdam, VA.

John Boyles '91DDS and wife,
Betsy, are pleased to announce the
birth of Alexa Markley on October 4,
2000. Alexa is the granddaughter of
Robert Markley '57DDS and
the niece of Robin Brown '83MS
(SWJ/SW. The family lives in
Staunton, VA.

William Bradley III '95MD is
currently at the New York Eye and
Ear Infirmary as attending in Cornea
Services.

**David Buck '99MD married
Jennifer Underwood on May 26, 2001.
Buck is employed by VCU in the
department of radiation oncology. Mrs.
Buck is employed by NAMCP Associ-
ates. The couple lives in Richmond.
Mason Carlyon '93BS(B)/Hum&Sci
'99PhD(M&l)/M married Cheryl
Hensley on May 19, 2001 in VA
Beach. The couple lives in New
Haven, CT.

Kelly Clark '90BS/P and Eric
Collins have been married for a few
years. Clark is currently the assistant
director of pharmacy at Johnston
Memorial Hospital where she has prac-
ticed for the last eight years. Collins is a
quality engineer for Bristol Compres-
sors. They live in Abingdon, VA
Mike Esposito '98MS(HA)/AH
has joined the staff at Redmond
Regional Medical Center as chief
operations officer. He and his family
live in Rome, GA.

"Scott Gayner '93MD isafacial
plastic surgeon in private practice in
Harrisburg, PA.

Lance Grenevicki '93DDS
' 9 7 M D is an oral and maxillofacial
surgeon in private practice in West
Melbourne, FL.

Nikki Hess Grepiotis '95BS/P
and her husband, Mike are happy to
announce the birth of Hunter James,
on August 7, 2001. The family lives in
Glen Allen.

Robyn Matney Haren '90BS/N
'95MS/N has created and will
operate Nurses World in Richmond.
The store will offer products to both
students and professional nurses.

Debra Haselton '94DDS is an

assistant professor at the University of
Iowa College of Dentistry.
Wendy Hookman '95MD is in
private practice in Washington, DC.
Brenda Jeffries '93BS/N
'95MS/N has joined Culpeper Family
Practice. Brenda was recently with
CMA as a nurse practitioner. Jeffries
and her family live in Culpeper, VA.
"'Valencia Jones '9SMD
married James Williams on September
8, 2001 . She is currently practicing
family medicine in Danville, VA.
Susan Kerrigan '91MD,
husband William and big brother
Quinn would like to announce the
birth of twins, Michael McCallum
and Patrick Daniel born on November
29, 2001. The family lives in Mt.
Pleasant, SC.

Mark Kiefer '94MD has joined
the practice of Donald Bias, MD at
Lincolnton Medical Group in NC.
Before joining the Medical Group
Kiefer was at the Naval Hospital in
Guam and was an assistant professor
of family medicine at the Uniformed
Services University of the Health
Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He offers
services in adult medicine, women's
health care, pediatrics, geriatrics and
minor surgery.

Frank Kim '90MD has joined the
medical staff at MidMichigan Medical
Center in Midland, MI. Kim is a
board-certified urologist.
Lea Langdon '98MS(P)/M
married Matthew Mahoney on
September 29, 2001. Langdon is a
fourth-year medical student at VCU.
Mahoney is an associate with Hunton
and Williams law firm. The couple
lives in Richmond.

Sara Larch '92MS(HA)/AH was
recently named chair of the board for
the Medical Group Management
Association and is the second woman
to hold this position. She is currently
chief operating officer for University
Physicians, Inc.

Michael Lin '93BS(C)/Hum&Sci
'98MD is a family physician at
Blue Ridge Family Health Center in
Warrenton, VA.
**Allison Lucas '93BS/P and

**Timothy Lucas '93BS/P
opened the DownHome Pharmacy in
Roanoke, VA.

"Brian McAndrew '99MD is

an oral and maxillofacial surgeon

with Oral Surgery Associates in

Richmond.

Jeffrey McBath '96BS/P is

currently a staff pharmacist for Vons

in Palmdale, CA.

S p

"John Monzon '95MS(HA)/AH

is a reimbursement manager with
Ortho Biotech in Charlestown, MA.
Samir Patel '95MD isaradiolo-
gist with Radiology, Inc. in Granger, IN.
Paige Perkins '97BS/N married
Brian Fitzgerald on May 19, 2001.
Perkins is employed by Stonewall
Jackson Hospital in Lexington. The
newlyweds live in Natural Bridge, VA.
Tricia Perkinson '98BS/N
'99MS/N and Gregory Cole
'01DDS were married on September
8. The couple lives in Allentown, PA.,
where Cole is completing his dental
residency at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Darren Phipps '99DDS was
appointed adjunct professor of
surgery in the Department of Oral
and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Dart-
mouth College Medical School in
Hanover, NH.

Brandan Roseberry '99BS
(OTI/AH andKevin Clifford
'99BS(B) /Hum&Sci were united
in marriage on June 30, 2001.
Deryn Schiff '95MS( RO/AH
andAlex Feria 00BS/N were
united in marriage on August 4, 2001.
Schiff is a quality assurance coordinator
at Rehab Management, Inc., and Feria
is a sales manager at Commonwealth
Medical Equipment. The couple lives
in Glen Allen.

"Grace Silverstein '99BS/N
recently received the CRRN by the
Rehabilitation Nursing Certification
Board. She is employed at Sheltering
Arms Hospital, an acute rehabilitation
hospital in Richmond.
Tiffany Snidow '97MS(RC)/AH
married Mr. Daniel Barribeau on
October 27, 2001. Snidow is a therapist
at Tucker's Pavilion at Chippenham
Hospital and with Insight Physicians.
The couple lives in Richmond.
Michelle Marks Thompson
'93BS/P and husband, Roy are
pleased to announce the birth of
Matthew Roy, on May 10, 2001. The
family lives in Purcellville, VA.
Faith Walker Trent '90BS(B|
/Hum&Sci 93D0S andDwight
Trent '88BS(A)/B alongwith
their son Redding, are happy to
announce the birth of Sarah Lynne,
on February 11, 2000. In August
2001, Faith joined the practice of Dr.
Janis L. Stein, DDS. She enjoys prac-
ticing all aspects of Family Dentistry.
Dwight is the chief financial officer tor
Hilb, Rogal and Hamilton Company
of Virginia and also is the regional
controller for the company's Mid-
Atlantic region. The family lives
in Richmond.

Diana VanLandingham '91 B S
(RN-BSNj/N '97MS/N has
joined the staff of Northern Neck Free
Health Clinic as a nurse practitioner.
Valerie Vann '97BS/P married
Christian Meek on October 13, 2001.
Vann is a pharmacy manager with Wal-
greens. The couple lives in Glen Allen.
Edmond Wickham III '99MD
married Jennifer Blankinship on Octo-
ber 6, 2001 . Wickham is completing
his residency at VCU in internal medi-
cine and pediatrics. The couple lives
in Richmond.

Elizabeth Williamson '95BS/N
married William Robert Compton Jr.
on September 22, 2001. Williamson is
a labor and delivery nurse at St. Mary's
Hospital and Compton works for
Richmond Express Courier Service.
The couple lives in Richmond.
Aimee Witter '95BS/P recently
joined the staff of the Wellness Phar-
macy in Winchester, VA. She will
provide compounding and physician
marketing services.

Kristen Bailey 01BS/N was

united in marriage to Christopher
Grubbs on October 6, 2001. Bailey is
an ER nurse at Chippenham Medical
Center and Grubbs is a regional vice
president for ING Annuities. The
couple lives in Richmond.
Danielle Beatty 01MS(PT)/AH
had an October 6 wedding to Michael
Burton. The couple lives in Amelia, VA.
Jason Cecil 01MHA(HA)/AH
is a presidential management intern
with the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Office of Genetics
and Disease Prevention in Richmond.
Diana Cichewicz 00PhD(P&T)/M
is post doctoral in the Department of
Pharmacology at VCU.
Gregory Cole 01DDS and
Tricia Perkinson '99BS/N
'99MS/N were married on Septem-
ber 8. The couple lives in Allentown,
PA, where Cole is completing his dental
residency at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Amy Hart OIBS/N married
Raymond Quarles on September 8.
The couple lives in Mechanicsville, VA.
Allison Hughes 01MS(PT)/AH
andCory Wirt 01MS(PT)/AH
were married on October 6. They are
both physical therapists, Hughes with
Southside Rehab Services and Wirt
with Ashland Rehab. The couple lives
in Midlothian, VA.

Ronald McKinney 01DPHA

married Christian Fox on September
22, 200 1 . McKinney is employed by
CVS Pharmacy in Louisa, VA. The
couple lives in Goochland.
Pamela O'Neal OOPhD/N is
a leader in the research of ventilator-
associated pneumonia and is one of
three nurses in the nation evaluating
the phenomenon. She received fund-
ing from the National Institute of
Health. "As many as 90 percent of
mechanically ventilated patients will
develop ventilator-associated pneu-
monia while they are in critical care.
As high as 71 percent of those patients
may die. Therefore, the goal behind
my research is to make a difference in
the care of patients at the bedside,"
said O'Neal. She was recently named as
One of the Most Influential Georgians.
O'Neal lives in Locust Grove with
her husband.

Tina Reynolds 01 BS(CLS)/AH
was united in marriage to Marcus
Johnson on September 15, 2001. The
new Mrs. Johnson is employed with
VCLJ and Mr. Johnson is employed
with Residex Inc. The couple lives in
Chesterfield County, VA.
Sheri Shields OODPHA and
Mitchell Slattery 01DPHA
were married on October 20. Shields
is employed with Buford Road Phar-
macy and Slattery is employed by
Ukrops of Richmond. The couple
lives in Richmond.
Emily Wilson '01BS/N was
united in marriage to George Smith
III on September 22. The couple lives
in Richmond.

DEATHS

Donnie Royal ' 26 M D ofSalem-
burg, NC in July. His wife of 68 years,
Dorothy Royal said "I want to tell you
that he loved life, and was looking
forward to reaching 100. . . Oh, how
much he longed to do so!" He was 98.
The three primary passions of his life
were playing checkers, the stock mar-
ket and practicing medicine.

Enm

*Roy Beard '31BS/P ofErwm,
TN on July 25, 2001. He was a phar-
macist for over 50 years. Beard was 93.

IN PRACTICE

Dr. James Priest 75DDS

Back On His Feet: Dr. James Priest 75DDS

is an inspiration in his struggle to recover from a debilitating disease

By Holly Timberline

n "Virginia boy," Dr. James Priest '75DDS

chose to stay local and attend VCU's School
of Dentistry, even after being accepted at a
prestigious out-of-state university. What
kept him at VCU was the chairman of the
department of oral and maxillofacial surgery
(OMS), Dr. Elmer Bear. "I highly respected
him. . .He was a powerful individual and an
excellent chairman," Priest explains, recalling
that he was also somewhat of a father figure
too. If someone from another department
attacked or criticized a student "[Bear]
would protect you to the hilt. He'd chew you
out behind closed doors if you were wrong,
but not in public." He engendered loyalty in
his students. "A lot of people didn't like him.
He was blunt and gruff and to the point. But
the residents under him loved him."

Priest completed his OMS residency in
1979 and by mid- July 1998 was batting a
thousand. His near 20-year practice as an
oral maxillofacial surgeon was thriving. He'd
been happily married to his high school
sweetheart since 1971, and they'd almost
finished raising their three sons (22, 18 and
15 at the time). The eldest boy, Berkley, was
away at college. The younger two, Reagan
and Michael, were baseball nuts like their
dad, and Priest spent his free hours on the
field as their coach.

Then strangely enough, his life changed
dramatically when he caught a minor stomach
bug. It was a run-of-the-mill virus, Priest
recalls, and several other coaches and players
contracted it, too. They recovered fine. But

Priest suddenly found himself in
a whole new ballgame.

Guillian-Barre (pronounced
gee-YAN-bah-RAY) Syndrome
(GBS) is a disorder in which a
person's own antibodies attack
and damage part of the nervous
system, causing weakness and
often paralysis. The syndrome
can affect anybody, of any age,
but is often linked to recent
respiratory or gastrointestinal
viral infections.

On Wednesday morning,
July 15 — a few days after falling
ill — Priest's legs buckled when
he climbed out of bed. He went
to work, but by his second surgery, he was
having trouble holding his instruments. By
afternoon, Priest couldn't navigate the two
steps up to his house, and his sons had to
carry him inside. By four o' clock, he
couldn't even manage his pajamas: "My
thumb just slipped off the elastic," he recalls.

A diagnosis of GBS was confirmed the
following afternoon, as the paralysis contin-
ued working its way up Priest's body. (GBS
typically strikes the lower extremities first,
then works its way up.) He was placed in
the ICU and put on a ventilator since the
disorder was interfering with his breathing.
By Saturday, he was completely paralyzed
except for his left eye.

His medical background and his strong
Christian faith helped him focus on the pos-
itive. "If you have to have a neurological
disease, this is the one to have," he says. He
knew that 75 percent of GBS sufferers recover
well, if not completely. That meant the odds
were in his favor for getting a good return of
function. But there was a long road ahead:
Priest spent the next two months in the ICU,
communicating only by blinking his left
eye — once for yes, "twice" for "no." To help
him convey words, his wife, Mary, would go
through the alphabet one letter at a time,
and he'd blink at the right letter.

Priest was treated with two standard ther-
apies for GBS, plasmapheresis and high dose
immunoglobulin therapy, and finally, around
Labor Day, some recovery began. He was

taken off the respirator and sent to a rehabili-
tation unit at Duke University. Recovery
happens in reverse of how the disorder
strikes, so Priest relearned how to raise his
arms and feed himself before using his legs.
"They finally stood me up right after Christ-
mas," he recalls. Recovery continued, but
progress was slow. That summer, a full year
after the onset of GBS, Priest was still in a
wheelchair. "That probably was the most
depressing point of the whole illness," he says.
"I hit a year, and I'm still sitting in this chair."

Priest's faith made a critical difference
for him at this point. As he explains it, he
decided to give up on his own timetable and
go by God's instead. "For the first time, I sat
down and said [to God], 'Okay, my time
schedule is obviously not yours.' I literally
made peace with it."

Krista Leake, a physical therapist at Halifax
Regional Hospital who worked with Priest
during his recovery, says, "He did a lot to
help bring other patients' spirits up. . . .
You knew he was going through something
terrible, but he had a great attitude."

Last fall, that same attitude led Priest to
inquire about resuming a once-a-month gig
he'd had previously with VCU, with one
exception: Now, instead of teaching, he'd
serve as an intern. Priest hoped this endeavor
would help him ascertain whether working
again was feasible.

It was: In January 2001, he returned to
his own practice. Though he is still essentially
paralyzed below the knees, his other muscles
compensate well and he is able to walk and
do his job with no problem. He works full
time now — with a lot more understanding
of what it feels like to be the patient.

And of course, Priest's commitment
to America's favorite pastime is as strong
as ever. This past summer, he coached on
his feet, out of his wheelchair, leaning on a
bat for support. His young players may be
headed for the major leagues down the road.
But it's clear that Dr. James Priest is already
a champion.

Holly Timberline is an award-winning local
feature writer and editor.

S p

Thomas Bradshaw '35DDS

of Blackstone, VA on August 4, 2001.
Bradshaw was in private dental practice
for 55 years when he retired in 1990.
He also found time to serve on the
State Board of Dental Examiners for
10 years and was elected vice presi-
dent and president of the American
Association of Dental Examiners.
Bradshaw was 90.
Madge Cole '36BS/N of
Harrisonburg, VA on September 20,
2001 . Cole was a registered nurse for
Presbyterian Hospital in New York
many years. Cole was 89.
Marian Machen '37BS/N of
Annapolis, MD on June 19.
Richard Neale '36MD ofDue
West, SC.

Joseph Parker '31DDS ofVir-
ginia Beach, on April 22. He was 93.

Key To Abbreviations

Alumni are identified by year
degree/school

Degrees

AS Associate's Degree

C Certificate

B G S Bachelor of General Studies

BFA/MFA Bachelor/Master of Fine

Art
BSW/MSW Bachelor/Master of

Social Work
Diet Dietetic Intern
DPHA Doctor of Pharmacy
HS House Staff
M E d Master of Education
MPH/DPH Master, Doctor of Public

Health
MHA Master of Health

Administration
M/DPH Master, Doctor of

Public Health
MSHA Master of Science in Health

Administration
MSNA Master of Science in Nurse

Anesthesia
PhD Doctor of Philosophy

Schools

A Arts

AH Allied Health Professions

CLS Clinical Laboratory
Sciences

G Gerontology

HA Health Administration

NA Nurse Anesthesia

OT Occupational Therapy

PC Patient Counseling

PT Physical Therapy

RC Rehabilitation Counseling

RS Radiation Sciences
B Business
D Dentistry
E Education
En Engineering
H&S Humanities and Sciences
M/M-BH Medicine/Med-Basic

Health Sciences
MC Mass Communications
N Nursing

NTS Nontraditional Studies
P Pharmacy

St.P St. Philip School of Nursing
SW Social Work

James Phillips Jr. '33MD

of Newport News, VA on August 4,
2001. He practiced ophthalmology
for many years. Phillips was 94.
Hazel Polster '38BS/N of
Salem, VA on January 8, 2001.
Stanley Powell '32MD of
Portsmouth, VA on September 27,
2001 at the age of 94. Powell made
history in Cradock by operating one
of the longest medical practices, 63
years. During WWII he received a
Special Certificate of Appreciation
from President Lyndon Johnson.
E. Ling Shiuh '39MD ofFresno,
CA on October 8, 2001.
George Trakas '39DDS of
Garden City, NY on June 3, 2001 .

HZSB

William Alexander '42DDS

of Hopewell, VA on March 22, 2001.
James Choate '42MD of
Bethesda, MD.
John Compton Jr. '45MD of

Goldsboro, NC on October 27, 2001.
Compton was a retired radiologist
with Wayne Radiology. He was 80.
Mary Coulter '47BS(MT)/AH
of Midlothian, VA on January 8.
Ruth Cox '42BS/P ofGreens-
boro, NC on January 4, 2000 and her
husband, William Cox '42MD
on December 1, 1998.
Fletcher Dorsett '41MD of
Winston-Salem, NC on June 17. He
was 86.

Doris Gravatt '47BS/N ofMil-
ford, VA on June 2 1 , 2001 . She was 75.
George Green '48DDS of
Brookneal, VA on February 20, 2000.
"Owen Gwathmey '45MD of
Aylett, VA on September 25, 2001 .
Gwathmey was a pioneer in thoracic
and cardiovascular surgery, he prac-
ticed for over 30 years. Gwathmey
served as Governor from Virginia
for the American College of Chest
Surgeons. He was also a founding
member of the Society of Thoracic
Surgeons and served for many years
on the Board of Visitors of Virginia
Commonwealth University. In 1995
he was inducted into the University
of Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame
for Track and Field. He was 81.
Donald Hines '49Cert(0T)/AH
'56BS(OT)/AH ofRichmond,
on December 13, 2001. He retired
as chief of the Occupational Therapy
Department with McGuire's Veterans
Hospital.

Samuel "Ben" Judy '48MD
of Franklin, NC on December 8,
2001. He practiced family medicine in
Clarksville, VA for 44 years prior to

his semi-retirement in 1992. He con-
tinued to practice in Haywood County,
Sylva, and Franklin for the past 9
years. Judy was the first scholarship
football player from Virginia Tech to
attend medical school. He was 97.
•Dorothy Lefler '43BS/N of
Tazewell County, VA on June 22.
Lefler was a past president of the Florida
Nursing Association. She was 83.
Robert Meyers '48HS-M of
Ottumwa, IA on November 7, 2000.
J. Warren Montague '41 HS 0
ofRichmond, on October 24, 2001.
Montague received numerous awards
in his life including three bronze stars
in WWII, and five medals in his life-
long interest of swimming. He was a
dedicated volunteer at McGuire Veter-
ans Hospital. Montague was associate
clinical professor at MCV for 30 years
while maintaining a private ear, nose
and throat practice. Montague was 89.
Welford Ross '46DDS ofChar-
lottesville, VA on October 7, 2000.

William Booher Jr. '57MD

of Wellsburg, WV on December 4,
1999. He was in family practice for
over 40 years. He was a third generation
family practice physician in the area.
Harry Brown Jr. '51BS/P of
Raleigh, NC on October 29, 2001.
Mary Jane Hilling Carter
'52BS/N of Newport News, VA on
September 18, 2001. Carter was a reg-
istered nurse for many years, working
for Hampton General Hospital and
the Hope Center. Carter was 69.
"William Crittenden Jr. '56DDS
of Gloucester, VA on July 19. Critten-
den was in dental practice for 35years
until his retirement in 1991. He
served on many board and organiza-
tions including the MCV Alumni
Association Board and the Richmond
Dental Society. Crittenden was 75.
S. James Cutler '58MS/H on
August 16 in Staunton, VA. As director
of the VCU Department of Clinical
Audiology from 1953 to 1978, he
founded and directed the first pre-
school program for the deaf in Virginia.
George Foresman '52BS/P of
Blacksburg, VA on September 20. He
owned and operated the Giles Clinic
Pharmacy in Pearisburg for many
years and then the Gables Pharmacy
for over twenty years. At the time of
his death, he was a relief pharmacist
for CVS Pharmacy, as well as donating
his time as the registered pharmacist
for the Free Clinic of New River
Valley. He was a master gardener.
Foresman was 76.

IN PRACTICE

Norman Ende '47MD and Milton Ende '43MD

The Ende Brothers: Original Pioneers in Cord Blood Research

By Joan Tupponce

I ou can bet that Drs. Norman Ende '47MD
and Milton Ende '43MD have been watching
the debate about embryonic stem cells with
great interest. The brothers, both graduates
of the University of Richmond and Virginia
Commonwealth University's Medical College
of Virginia, wrote about their work with
cord blood in 1972 in The Virginia Medical
Monthly. Their research from the 60s and
early 70s was later recognized in the Scien-
tific American.

They used a series of eight transfusions
consisting of 30 to 85 ml of umbilical cord
blood to establish a hematopoietic trans-
plant in a patient with acute lymphoblastic
leukemia who was receiving conventional
therapy. Their summary of the results:

"Fetal blood was successfully utilized in
establishing a hematopoietic transplant in
a leukemic patient. This method has not
been previously attempted. Only a relatively
small number of donor cells was necessary
to establish the temporary allograft. Poten-
tially, this method of utilizing cord blood
could greatly reduce those problems which
are related to the obtaining of an adequate
number of donor cells. Further, by making
many donors readily available to the recipient,
enhanced opportunity is rendered for the
host to select the most compatible donor.
The utilization of cord blood could establish
an easy technique for the study of
hematopoietic transplants."

"We stumbled on one of the laws of
nature," Milton says. "Umbilical cord
reproducing itself and giving you a new
immune system. We knew we had done
something unique."

During their work, the Endes relied on
each other, just like they have done since
their childhood. Both interested in science,
the brothers chose the same career path —
medicine. Milton made his career choice
at the age of six when he became ill. "My
mother waited all night to see the doctor,"
he remembers. "I was impressed that she
was waiting for him. When the woman
next door was sick, she was waiting for the
doctor, as well. Everyone was waiting for
him. That's when I knew what I wanted to
be, a doctor."

Norman's decision came later. "I was
greatly influenced by my brother, who was

five years older" he says, laughing. The two,
children of immigrants, were setting a new
standard for the family. "Our father ran a
country store in Petersburg and our mother
helped him," Norman says. "Today, all their
grandchildren are doctors."

As the brothers entered early adulthood,
they were touched by the war. During
Milton's first year at MCV, all the residents
were inducted into the Army, leaving the
younger students with much to do. "[Then
after our senior year] we were thrown into
the front line of medicine very abruptly,"
Milton recalls.

Even though times were difficult, Milton
has fond memories of his time at MCV. "It
was just remarkable," he says. During his
senior year, he was inducted into the Army
— he learned military courtesy at Camp Lee
and then returned to school to finish his
training. By the time he finished his intern-
ship, he was a 1st Lieutenant.

Norman's path was a little different.
After going to the Quantico Naval hospital
where he became "an expert in cleaning
bathrooms," he went to medical school as
a Naval Cadet. He wasn't re-called to duty
until Korea.

Milton opened his practice in Petersburg
more than 50 years ago. An internist, Milton
saw his patient load increase significantly in
a short time. At the same time, he noticed he
was seeing a growing number of terminal
malignancy cases. "It was frustrating," he
says. "I wondered why I didn't see babies
and teens with cancers." That's when Milton
began to ponder the benefits of using cord
blood in terminal cancer patients. And so,
the study began.

After graduating, Norman went into
pathology. Today, he works as a professor of
Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.

Milton and Norman worked together in
the studies they conducted regarding cord
blood. "I would come home frequently and
Milton would show me his data," Norman
says. "I was involved in transplantations at
Vanderbilt. I didn't feel we had enough hard
information [at first] so we set up another
case. That one, a leukemia patient, seemed
to show a total change in blood type."

Milton will never forget sending blood
samples to his brother during a time when
there was no Federal Express on which to
rely. "I had a woman who would take the
blood to the airport and put it on the plane,"
Milton says. "I would then call my brother
and tell him what plane the sample was on.
If we lost one sample, we lost months of
work." On one occasion, Norman called to
say there was no sample aboard the plane.
Milton and his team found the sample lying
on the runway. "It had fallen off the cart,"
he says. They were able to retrieve the sample
and send it to Norman, thus completing
the study.

According to the Endes, the cells in cord
blood are similar to embryonic stem cells.
"Cord blood could probably do everything
embryonic stem cells can do," Norman says.
The brothers believe cord blood is ready to be
used with Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's
and radiation recovery. "It will change the
course of medicine," Norman says, noting
that researchers from Harvard Medical
School presented the results of a study
showing stem cell transplantation improved
survival in transgenic ALS mice at the 12th
International Symposium on ALS/MND in
November 2001.

You may suspect that the Endes' work
with cord blood would be their proudest
moment, but that's not the case. What are
they most proud of? Their children. "My
two sons, Fred [Ende '78MD] and Mark
[Ende '81MD], are doctors and are in
practice with me," Milton says.

"My daughter Leigh is a hand surgeon,"
Norman says. "I'm very proud of her."

Joan Tupponce is an award-winning writer
residing in Richmond. A staff writer at Capital
One, she also writes for MD News, the Richmond
Times-Dispatch and Richmond Magazine.

S p

William Harper '56MD of

Phoenix, AZ.

Jean Harris '55MD ofEden
Prairie, MI on December 14, 2001.
Harris was a woman of firsts. She was
the first African American student to
graduate from MCV, and the state of
Virginia's first woman and first African
American to serve in the gubernatorial
Cabinet. Her professional career
included serving as chief of the City
Department of Health's Bureau of
Resources Development in DC, and
as director of the National Medical
Association Foundation while com-
muting to Los Angeles to serve as
assistant clinical professor of family
practice at Charles R. Drew Post-grad-
uate Medical School. Harris also was
a faculty member for Howard and
Johns Hopkins Universities, the Uni-
versity of California at Los Angeles
and MCV. She retired in 1998 as first
senior associate director and director
of medical affairs at the University of
Minnesota Hospital and Clinics. At the
time of her death, Harris was mayor of
Eden Prairie, Minn., she was 70.
William Holladay Jr. '52MD
of Marietta, GA on May 17, 2001.
Rudolph Gurley '53BS/P of
Norfolk, VA in October.

"Charles Mangano '52BS/P

of Callao, VA on November 3, 2001.
Mangano owned and operated Callao
Drug for 36 years until his retirement in
1988. He was a linguist and spoke four
languages fluently. Mangano was 78.
Nathan Safian '59MD ofLoma
Linda, CA on October 9, 2001. He
practiced medicine for almost 40
years and Safian was the first medical
specialist in Placentia, CA. He was 65.
"Henry Spencer '53MD of
Mechanicsville, on October 2, 2001.
He practiced medicine for 43 years.
Spencer was very active on many
boards and organizations including the
MCVAA board of trustees. He was 79.
Charles Wells '57MD of Eliza-
bethan, TN on May 30, 2000. Wells
was a family practice physician for 37
years. He was very active with the Boy
Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle
Scout as a youth and was awarded the
Silver Beaver award as an adult leader.
Wells was 67.

Frances Tucker Hoffman
Wells '50Cert/N ofRichmond,
on July 30, 2001. Wells was employed
for over 28 years as a public health
nurse. She was 90 years old.
"Louis Wilkerson '52MD of
Raleigh, NC on April 25, 2001.

Clarence Ushela '51Cert(PT)/AH

of Green Valley, AZ on September 21.

"James Ghaphery '60MD of

Richmond, on June 9.

Owen Graves '67DDS ofHar-

risonburg, VA on August 3, 2001.
George "Hooti" Johnson '60MD

of Richmond. Johnson was a neuro-
surgeon with Chippenham Medical
Center and Johnston-Willis Medical
Center, and was in private practice for
over 30 years.

Reuben McBrayer '67MD
Charlotte Wynn Pollard '60BS/N
ofRichmond, on August 22, 2001.
Pollard was the first African American
nurse to be accepted at MCV in 1952.
Pollard was a registered nurse and
worked with psychiatric patients. She
helped write the psychiatric rotation
curriculum for the nursing school at
John Tyler and J. Sargeant Reynolds
Community Colleges. Pollard was 66.
Roger Robinson 67BS/P of
Burke, VA at 51.

"James Williams '63MHA
(H&HAJ/AH of Roanoke, VA on
August 16, 2001. Williams was the

IN MEMORY

A REMARKABLE LEADER,
PHYSICIAN AND WOMAN

Jean Louise Harris '55MD, MCV's
first black medical school graduate
and the state's first woman and first
African American to serve in a
gubernatorial cabinet, died December
14 of lung cancer in She was 70.

Harris, Virginia's secretary of
human resources from 1978 to 1982,
found her courage to dream from
her father, a physician. After becoming MCV's first black
graduate from the School of Medicine in 1955, she did an
internship and residency in internal medicine at MCV
and continued her residency at the University of
Rochester. Harris moved to Washington, D.C., where
she practiced medicine and served as chief of the city
department of health's Bureau of Resources Development.
She then served as director of the National Medical Asso-
ciation Foundation in California where she also was
assistant clinical professor of family practice at Charles
R. Drew Post-Graduate Medical School.

In 1973, Harris became the first black faculty member
on Virginia Commonwealth University's MCV Campus,
where she was professor of family practice and director of
the medical school's community health center program.

She served as secretary of human resources under Gov.
John Dalton. In 1982, she became one of the first female
vice presidents of a Fortune 500 company, Control Data
Corp. in Bloomington, Minn. She retired in 1998 as first
senior associate director and director of medical affairs
at the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics.

Harris received a distinguished service award from
the National Governors' Association in 1981. Among
her many other awards and honors, she was named one
of the Top 100 Black Business and Professional Women
by Dollars & Sense magazine. In 1990 she unsuccessfully
ran for Minnesota lieutenant governor, and upon her
death, she was mayor ofEden Prairie, Minn., a booming
suburb of the Twin Cities.

The MCV Alumni Association presented Harris with
the Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award in 1994. In
1993, VCU established the Jean L. Harris Scholars program
in the School of Medicine for minority honors students. In
2000, she endowed a scholarship at the MCV Foundation
for an entering African-American medical student.

"I found Jean Harris to be a bright, charming and
courageous person," said R.B. Young '53BS/P'57MD.
"As the first black medical student, she must have faced
many challenges. She was an excellent physician with
outstanding leadership abilities and was very well

S p

senior vice president of Carilion
Health Systems. Williams was 72.
Tatsuo Yoneyama '61HS-M
of Roanoke, VA in May.

Janet Boettcher '74MS/N of

Radford, VA on January 12, 2002.
"Her optimism, faith and determina-
tion were an inspiration for students,
friends and family," as stated in her
obituary. She worked as an instructor
at Richmond Memorial Hospital
School of Nursing, where she was
also coordinator of the parent-child
nursing program. At the time of her
death, Boettcher had been the director
of the School of Nursing at Radford
University since 1992. She was 56.
John Earnhardt '76PhD
(P&D/M-BH of Salisbury, NC
on June 28, 2001. Earnhardt sent
much of his research on the dynamics
of neurotransmissions. He received
many awards from the National
Institutes of Health, the Pesticide
Control Board of the State of Maine
and NATO's Advanced Study of
Molecular Mechanisms of Central
and Peripheral Vascular Resistance.

Earnhardt collaborated with a Nobel
Prize-winner. He was 52.
•Kenneth Gray '70MD ofRan-
cho Santa Fe, CA on January 6, 2002.
He practiced medicine in San Diego
and was a founding partner of the
Doctors Care Medical Group where he
worked until his death. Gray was 57.
Ronald McCord '75MS
(M&D/M-BH of Johnson City, TN
on July 15, 2001. McCord was 52.
Jon Osborne '73BS/P on
September 26, 2001.
Roberta Perdue '70BS/N
'77Cert(NP)/N of Richmond in
August.

Richard Shomo '73BS/N
'78MS/N of Richmond on August
8. Shomo was one of the first men
to go through the nursing program
at VCU. His career in health care
spanned nearly 30 years, including
12 years as president and CEO of
Central Virginia Ambulance Services
and executive director of Rescue Inc.
He also served as adjunct faculty for
VCU. Shomo was 50.
Paul "Chip" Wheeler Jr. '72BS/P
'76DDS of Portsmouth, VA on
November 13. Friends and family say
he never met a stranger and easily made

new friends who grew to love and
respect him almost immediately. One
of his favorite past-times was joining
friends at the local coffee shop for
good conversation and espresso.
Wheeler was 53.

Cathy James '85MS/N
'95Cert(NP)/N of Richmond, on
October 17. James was the recipient
of many awards including induction
into the American Academy of Nurs-
ing, the most prestigious society in
the field of nursing. She specialized
in reproductive endocrinology and
infertility nursing for 20 years. She
was the founder of the Nurses' Pro-
fessional Group of the American
Society for Reproductive Medicine.
James also published extensively and
was the first U.S. nurse to be named
to the international lectureship in
reproductive endocrinology and
infertility nursing. Friends and peers
alike knew her as a true "renaissance
woman." She was 49.
Clayton McManaway '86BS/N
of Salem, VA.

respected by all who knew her. She was utterly devoted
to promoting good health care for all people but partic-
ularly medical care for the underprivileged."

A TRUE PIONEER

Charlotte Anne Pollard '60BS/N

was the first African American to
earn a nursing degree from MCV.
Pollard, in remission from breast
cancer for 2 1 years, lost her battle
after the illness returned as lung and
brain cancer. She died in Richmond
on August 18 at age 66.

Pollard gained admission to
MCV just three years after the U.S. Supreme Court out-
lawed segregated public schools in 1954. While she took
classes on the MCV campus, she was housed with nurses
attending the all-black St. Philip's School of Nursing.
Betsy Bampton '60BS/N, part-time faculty in the
VCU School of Nursing, had known Pollard since they
attended nursing school together. "She was a very upbeat
person, positive about life and people. Especially during
her bout with cancer, she remained upbeat and full of
life," she said. "As a student at MCV in those days, it
wasn't easy for her, but she was the type of person who
would just grin and bear it."

Bampton learned long after they graduated that
Pollard worked very hard in school to raise money for
the senior dance, which was being held at the Richmond
Mosque. "She did this knowing she would never be
allowed to attend, because in those days black people
weren't allowed in the Mosque. That's the kind of per-
son she was."

A registered nurse, Pollard taught and developed
the psychiatric curriculum at John Tyler and J. Sargeant
Reynolds community colleges during the 1970s and 80s.
In 1985, she started her own business, Health Unlimited,
where she spoke to groups about stress management,
holistic health and lifestyle management. She worked in
psychiatric nursing at Charter Westbrook for more than
10 years, and most recendy worked in home health care
for psychiatric patients.

A Richmond native, she graduated valedictorian
from high school and won a scholarship to Wheaton
College. She returned to Richmond and attended Vir-
ginia Union University for a year before going to MCV.
She earned her master's degree in psychiatric nursing at
the University of Maryland in 1974. Pollard was a dea-
coness at First African Baptist Church, where she was
senior choir member and Sunday school musician.

S p

(Continued from page 33)

REI EXPERT AND CARING SPIRIT

Heralded around the world for her work in
reproductive endocrinology and infertility nursing,
Cathy A. James '95Cert(NP)/N '85MS/N died
October 17 after a two-month battle with cancer.
She was 49. James was the first nurse in the U.S.
to be named to the international lectureship in
her field. She won the "REI Nurse of the Year"
honor, and she was a recent inductee into her
field's most prestigious organization, the
American Academy of Nursing.
"She was one of those people who made others feel really good
about themselves," said Dr. Judith Lewis, associate professor and
director of information technology at the VCU School of Nursing,
who was James' colleague and good friend for eight years. "Other
people's welfare was just so important to her. She was brilliant, kind,
caring and modest. I don't think that many people know how
famous she was in her field."

Lewis recalls that just before James passed away, Lewis thanked
her for being so kind to her and so many others. "She said to me,
A lot of people have been telling me this, and I just don't under-
stand. It's really simple. It's just the right thing to do.'" Lewis said,
"and that's just how she lived her life, without giving it a second
thought, she paid attention to people and details in a way that made
the world a better place to live in."

James' career spanned 26 years, 10 of which she spent as nurse
coordinator and clinical specialist for the in vitro fertilization pro-
gram at Virginia Commonwealth University's MCV Hospitals. She
was widely published and lectured around the world. In Richmond,
she founded the Nurses' Professional Group of the American Society
for Reproductive Medicine, where she also created a certification
exam. After earning her own post-master's certification, she became
a women's health nurse practitioner and joined Commonwealth
Physicians for Women in 1997 as the practice's infertility expert.

A GENEROUS SUPPORTER

Henry S. Spencer '53MD, longtime member of
the MCV Alumni Association and retired Rich-
mond physician, died October 2. Dr. Spencer
served on the MCVAA board for many years and
had planned to act as board secretary this year
before his death.

An Old Church, Va., resident upon his death,
Spencer received his undergraduate degree at
Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN,
and his medical degree from MCV in 1953. He did his internship and
residency in radiology in Washington, D.C. A member of the 8th Air
Force during World War II, Spencer flew 35 combat missions over
Germany in a B17. He practiced medicine in Richmond for more
than four decades.

Frances Kay '59BS/N had known Spencer since the 1960s when
she joined the MCV Alumni Association. She recalled a man who
was "the most generous person I've ever known." This generosity,
Kay said, crossed over to all areas of his life. "He was always available
if you needed help. When my daughter was quite ill, we were trying
to get her to Yale for her treatment, but she needed a potent antibiotic
before we could leave. I called Dr. Spencer very late that night, and
he was there for us without hesitation."

Spencer's philanthropy extended beyond medicine and his
friends. He served on the fund-raising committee for the construction

of the MCV Campus Alumni House and was a generous supporter
for that and various other causes around the medical campus.
Spencer also was an ardent supporter of his alma mater Lincoln
Memorial University and Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in Old
Church, Va.

"He was an excellent fundraiser," recalls Kay, "because he really
believed in any cause he took to task. He could get you to give money
even if you didn't have it to give, but he would never ask you to support
anything he wouldn't support himself."

A POWERFUL FORCE IN NURSING

Doris Beaumont Yingling died January 3 at Tryon Estates, Columbus,
NC. She was dean emerita of Virginia Commonwealth University's
School of Nursing. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Yingling attended
Goucher College, graduated from the Union Memorial Hospital
School of Nursing in Baltimore and subsequently earned a BS degree
at the University of Oregon and master's and doctoral degrees at the
University of Maryland. She established the University of Nevada in
Reno's first school of nursing in 1956. She later served 23 years as
dean at VCU, retiring in 198 1 .

During her tenure at VCU, the school and faculty enjoyed a period
of dramatic growth. Dean Yingling was futuristic
and competitive in her thinking and she wanted
the students and faculty to excel. "Doris was a
visionary leader who had the tenacity necessary
to have the vision turned into plans and actions,"
said Nancy Langston, dean of the VCU School
of Nursing. "While dean here she led the School
to create many of the firsts in nursing in the
Commonwealth, such as the first master's pro-
gram in nursing in Virginia, the first director for
nursing research in a school of nursing in Virginia, and she worked
with the dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia
to develop the first doctoral program in nursing in Virginia which
was ultimately housed at UVa." At the time of her retirement, she
was nationally recognized as having the longest tenure of any dean
of a school of nursing.

During the twenty years following her retirement she remained
an ardent supporter and advocate for the School of Nursing, notes
Langston. "She was very supportive of me during my time here as
dean. In fact, at our first meeting together she gave to me a book
(signed by the author) that she had used during her tenure as dean.
She indicated that it helped her clarify her leadership and manage-
ment style. She was a valuable colleague and supporter of the school
and me in my role as dean of the school to which she gave so much
of her professional career."

A long-time benefactor, Yingling arranged, through estate plan-
ning, for a future generous endowment gift for the School of Nursing.

Yingling's leadership was a force locally and nationally as she
worked to bring nursing into the mainstream of higher education.
She was the only woman to serve on the Governor's Commission on
Higher Education, 1964-66 and 1966-69. It was during the latter term
that plans were put in place to merge the Medical College of Virginia
and Richmond Professional Institute to form Virginia Common-
wealth University. She was cited in Life Style magazine as one of
Richmond's most powerful women and received a Resolution of
Commendation for Leadership in Nursing Education in Virginia by
the Virginia League for Nursing. In 1990 she received the Virginia
Nurses' Association's Historical Award in recognition of her work to
preserve the history of nursing. In 1999 she was honored once again
by the VNA as a pioneer in nursing. In addition, she served on
numerous planning committees for state, regional and national

SCARAB

organizations including the National League for Nursing, the Southern
Association of Colleges of Nursing and the American Association of
Colleges of Nursing. Dr. Yingling was the recipient of the Nancy
Vance Memorial Award, the highest honor given by the Virginia
Nurses Association, and recently the Medal of the Virginia Com-
monwealth University Founders Society for her extraordinary service
and contributions to the school.

A memorial service for Dean Yingling will be held Friday, April
26 at Monumental Church next to the VCU School of Nursing.

Memorials may be made to the Doris B. Yingling Research
Endowment Fund at MCV Foundation, PO Box 980234, Richmond,
VA 23298.

Farewell to four
long-time faculty members

After Dr. Edwin "Pinky" Smith retired in 1976 as the highest-ranking
Army dentist, he joined VCU's dental school as an assistant professor
of prosthodontics. Smith died June 19 of heart failure in Arlington.
He was 85. Dr. Donald Crabtree, assistant professor of prosthodontics,
also served in the U.S. military and knew of Dr. Smith by reputation
before the two later met at VCU. "He's one of those people you really
feel lucky to have known during your lifetime. There are some people
you just know are leaders. He was one of them. He held himself with
great confidence, and as a teacher he commanded respect." Smith's
students voted him top professor three years in a row and also created
the Edwin H. Smith student award in the dental school upon his
retirement. A leader in his dental specialty of prosthodontics, Smith
helped found his specialty organization, the American College of
Prosthodontics, in 1970.

Dr. J. Warren Montague, 30-year associate clinical professor on
VCU's MCV Campus and chief of staff at Stuart Circle Hospital and
Richmond Eye and Ear Hospital, died October 24 at age 89. Mon-
tague, an eye, ear and throat specialist, did his residency at MCV in
ophthalmology and otolaryngology. Soon after, he volunteered for
World War II, achieved captain and won three Bronze Stars. He
came to MCV in 1947 and also volunteered at McGuire Veterans
Hospital for years. A lifelong swimmer, he won five medals in the
Senior Olympics.

Suffering from lifelong hearing and speech impairments, S. James
Cutler '58MS/AH made it his life's work to help those in similar
situations. After a frustrating childhood, Cutler got his first hearing
aid when he was a student at New York University. He also worked at
the New York School for the Deaf. As director of the VCU Department
of Clinical Audiology from 1953 to 1978, he founded and directed
the first preschool program for the deaf in Virginia. He later would
become state coordinator for the deaf and hard-of-hearing in the
Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services. Cutler died at his
daughter's Staunton, Va„ home August 16 at age 85.

Russell H. Fiske began his career at MCV in 1940 as director of
Hospital Pharmacy and dedicated 60 years of his life to the institution.
He taught courses in the School of Pharmacy while he was a hospital
director and later as an associate professor, stressing the importance
of pharmacists working with physicians. "Russ was one of the pio-
neers in having pharmacists involved and working in the wards,"
Dr. Warren Weaver, former director of the VCU School of Pharmacy
told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Fiske was instrumental in estab-
lishing hospital pharmacist positions throughout the state at a time
when many hospital pharmacies were staffed with nurses. He also
helped found the Virginia Society of Hospital Pharmacists. Retiring
in 1981, he continued to give his time to VCU as a volunteer on the
MCV Campus for another 20 years.

Got an itch to get another degree,
broaden your knowledge or expand
your career options?

Call us and find out what opportunities await you at VCU.
The numbers for each program are listed below.

School of Allied Health Professions

Health Administration
Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Radiation Sciences

School of Dentistry

Admissions
Continuing Education
Dental Hygiene

School of Medicine

Admissions Office
Graduate Education
Continuing Medical Education

School of Nursing

Admissions Office
Graduate Programs

School of Pharmacy

Admissions
Graduate Programs
Continuing Education

Office of Admissions (Academic Campus)
Office of Graduate Admissions
(Academic Campus)
MCV Campus Records and Registration

828-7247
828-9466
828-9469
828-2219
828-0234
828-9104

828-9184
828-9196
828-0869
828-9096

828-9788
828-9629
828-8366
828-3640

828-0724
828-5171
828-3474

828-3000
828-3000
828-3819
828-3003

828-1222

828-6916
828-1349

Proposed amendments to the
Bylaws of the MCV Alumni
Association of VCU:

■ can be found online at www.vcu-mcvalumni.org

■ Copies can also be requested by calling the Alumni Office at
(804) 828-3900 or (800) MCV-7799.

■ Amendments will be voted on at the Association's Annual Meeting
during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, April 27 at 12 noon at the
Omni Richmond Hotel.

S p

□

Don't Miss Out . . .

Are you a member of the MCV Alumni Association?
Don't know? Check your mailing label on this
issue of Scarab. If it has "MCVAA" above your
name, you're already eligible for the following
membership benefits.
B Discounts on borrowing privileges at the

University library
B Discounts on merchandise and apparel at

University bookstores

■ Playing privileges for the Thalhimer Tennis
Courts, including the bubble

■ Eligibility to apply for Alumni Association group
major medical insurance coverage

■ Alumni recreational sports membership benefits

■ International auto, hotel and air
reservations service

B Nationwide car and hotel discounts
H Discounts on Kaplan courses for alumni and
their immediate families preparing to take the
USMLE, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, DAT
SAT and ACT

■ Special privileges, such as access to an online
alumni directory, on the new VCU-MCV Alumni
Web site.

If you're not a member, don't miss out. Join us
today! Fill out the membership form below.

JOIN US

I/We are enclosing

Q $35 individual membership MCV Alumni Association

Q $50 joint membership MCV Alumni Association

Or Think Big

Q $425 individual one payment Life Membership

Q $525 joint one payment Life Membership

Q $95yr, 5 payments/$475 total individual

Life Membership
a $1 1 5yr, 5 payments/$575 total joint

Life Membership
a $200 individual Senior Life Membership

(alumni who graduated 40+ years ago)
Q $250 joint Senior Life Membership

(alumni who graduated 40+ years ago)

Please make checks payable to MCVAA or join online
at www.vcu-mcvalumni.org.

NAME (as it appears on credit card)

ADDRESS

(check one) □ MASTERCARD □ VISA

CARD NO.

EXPIRATION DATE /

26-28

MCV Reunion Weekend
Omni Richmond Hotel

5-13

Alumni College Abroad
Kinsale, Ireland

Commencement 2002
Commencement Breakfast
Sixth Street Marketplace

MCVAA Nursing Division Meeting
MCV Alumni House

MCVAA of VCU Board of Trustees
Meeting - MCV Alumni House

23 July

Alumni College Abroad
Swiss Alps

4-7

Virginia Pharmacists Association
Meeting - Virginia Beach

IHU III!

10th Annual Nursing Conference

ind 35th Annual Mahoney-Hamner

Nursing Alumni Lectureship

For information about any event, call (804) 828-3900 or (800) MCV-7799

WHAT'S NEW WITH YOU?

The Scarab welcomes updates on marriages, family additions, job changes, relocations, promotions —
whatever you think is newsworthy. Help us keep track of you by completing and returning this form.
Recent newspaper clippings and photographs are also appreciated. Please mail to MCV Alumni Asso-
ciation of VCU, 1016 E. Clay St., P.O. Box 980156, Richmond, VA 23298-0156; fax to (804) 828-4594;
email to migreene@hsc.vcu.edu

NAME /DEGREE/CLASS

SPOUSES FULL NAME (If APPLIES) DEGREE/CLASS

CHILDREN (INDICATE IF CURRENTLY ATTENDING MCV/VCU)

ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBER

EMAIL ADDRESS

NEWS ITEMS (PLEASE ATTACH ADDITIONAL SHEET IF NECESSARY ]

^] I AM INTERESTED IN SPONSORING A STUDENT EXTERN PLEASE SEND AN INFORMATION FORM.

SCARAB U S p r i n g 200

Check Out Our Ueb Site For More
MCVAA Collectible Items:

a http : / /wv . vcu-mcva lurnn i .org

► MCVAA Chair and Rocker are made
of solid Hardrock Maple. Laser Engraved
with MCVAA Seal and can be personalized
with name and year. Black Boston Rocker
$295. Black Captain's Chair with light
wood arms and back $295. Personalization
$25. Allow six weeks for delivery. Please
place orders with Standard Chair at
(800) 352-5885.

► Feel Like a Pro. Striding across the
course or strolling about town, you'll
never be a duffer in MCVAA's golf shirt.
It's 100% combed cotton, with generous
cut, tri-color knit collar and welt sleeves,
taped shoulder and neck seam, side
vents, classic three-button box placket,
horn-toned buttons. Hunter with navy
and khaki trim with an MCVAA seal.
Sizes: M, L, XL, $37. XXL, $41. Add
$5 for shipping.

Tee Time! MCVAA golf ball and tee set
makes a great gift for the golf lover
(above with golf shirt). Set includes two
Spalding golf balls with MCVAA seal
and nine tees. $10 plus $2.50 shipping.

Help MCVAA

Continue To Help

Others.

Ever}' alumnus of VCU's

■t^t MCV campus has so much

*" |S^ to be proud of ...

now you can show

, ' your pride and because

a portion of the proceeds-

' *' of this jewelry will go back

to the MCV Alumni Association of VCU, .

it will mean a lot to others as we.ll.

Egyptian Building
available as lapel
pins, key rings, cuffs,
broaches, charms and slide
charms in 14k gold and
sterling silver.
When ordering please reference I
MCVAA1.

XM®

378-7427 TheShopp&atBellgj^

Hit the Links with us

on Reunion Weekend!

Start your reunion weekend with your favorite foursome on the
green! Once again your VCU Golf Team will host the event with
all proceeds benefiting the team. Golf team alumnus Ronnie Kelley
, and his partners at Golf Acquisitions Co. have generously donated
the Highland Springs Golf Course (300 Lee Ave. in Highland Springs) for the

day. Four-Man Captain's Choice (make your own foursome or we will
^ help) will be the format. Come prepared for fun, games, and a silent

^^^ auction. Members of the team will be on hand to participate

^^^ and mingle with the players. The cost is $90 per person

^^^ and includes golf, cart, tee gift, lunch and prizes.

^^^ Registration at the golf course begins at 1 1 :30

^^^ a.m., tee time is 1:00 p.m., and the awards

^^^^ presentation and closing of silent auc-

fj P 3 fJ 1 1 n P ^^W. t'on k^ ^^ De at 5:30 p.m. Sign up

^^^ your foursome by filling out the
iiaii n ■ ! 3m

form below and mail it with your
check to VCU Coach, Matt Ball.
Call Coach Ball at (804) 828-3027
on Onil9 to find out how you can join The

' "'"""'"" Ram's Golf Club ($100) and play in the tour-

nament ($90) for $150.

Entry deadline

for MCV-VCU Alumni

Golf Tournament is

April 22, 2002

Name_

_Hdcp. Or Avg. Score Day Phone

Name

_Hdcp. Or Avg. Score Day Phone,

Name

.HrJcp. Or Avg. Score Day Phone.

Name,

Send Registration and Check to:

_Hdcp. Or Avg. Score Day Phone.

VCU

Matt Ball, Golf Coach
P.O. Box 842003
Richmond, VA 23284

Nonprofit Organic
U.S. Postage

Permit No. 869
Dulles, Virginia

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